My bookshelf and hard disk are full of theoretical management and strategy books, many of them unread. Alex’s book is very different because it is from a practitioner for practitioners! It is the book to prepare your business for the future. Especially for people like me – not born as a natural strategist – the logical, pragmatic connections between purpose, strategy, vision and mission are invaluable.
Parts of these concepts we tried out a couple of years ago very successfully. Now that I read this book I feel and smell in each line the continuous learning and optimizing. The framework developed into a complete identity design process, mature, pressure tested and easy to implement. Combined with very suitable illustrations and cartoons as well as examples and models – I liked the ‘chocolate layer cake’ the best – the book is fun to read. It triggered a lot of ideas about unleashing the potential of the organization and inspired me to re-start the identity process immediately. Many thanks, Alex!

This book is a rare find, bringing clarity to the often fuzzy concepts that make up business strategy as a vehicle to deliver organizational identity. As I read the book I often found myself sharing the nuggets I encountered with my business partner, usually with a comment like “here’s something we can use!”.
Alex writes with intelligence, passion and humor, interconnecting his points with a combination of intuitive visuals, relevant anecdotes and practical resources, interspersed with some poignant cartoons. I discovered essential tools I could have used in my past as a CEO of fintech startups, and tools I will certainly find useful as an advisor to leadership teams. Leadership is all about people, culture and so many intangible things. This is where Alex shines in recognizing this important dimension of inspiring and affecting change.

Without spoiling the surprise, in the dozens of strategy books I’ve read, I’ve never found one that so skilfully provides guidance to piece together the inspirational and aspirational with the quantitative measures and control to really align an organization’s identity.
In a refreshing departure from “cookie cutter” strategy books, Alex Brueckmann blends his corporate expertise and consulting experience to stitch together nine core facets of organizational identity. Throughout, he manages to avoid cliché, deftly weaving real-world experience with insightful wisdom, supported by practical examples. He provides compelling links between strategy, purpose and execution and the whole book is written as a practical, step-by-step guide to creating a powerful identity that’s inspirational and challenging.

Having worked in corporate industries for 20 plus years, my unexpected delight at discovering a book which talked to me as though I was in a lively & entertaining strategy workshop was a big surprise. I have not only 'refreshed' much of my own thinking on linkages between pillars such as purpose and its anchor to strategy, but, I've personally learned and gained more insight using principles such as the ‘balancing loop' and playing them out on the 'test' scenarios shared within.

Alexander has created a comprehensive strategy manual. It combines a stringent framework with academic research and practical advice. It is loaded with examples, both public and from his extensive experience that illustrate the concepts and highlights pitfalls and challenges.
The book provides a framework that is broken down into different components. It is so clear that anyone - even without in-depth strategy experience - can pick it up and get to work. Alex has done a particularly good job to highlight implementation down to even providing tools which also makes the book relevant to the experienced professional.