Why Strategy Fails Before Execution
- Monica Gicot
- Feb 2
- 2 min read
Most international projects do not fail because of poor execution.They fail long before execution begins.
The failure happens upstream — at the level of decision framing.
In cross-border contexts, leaders often assume that once a strategy is defined, execution is a matter of discipline, resources, and speed. This assumption is precisely where risk enters.
The real problem: misframed decisions
In complex markets, the wrong question is often asked too early.
Examples I see repeatedly:
“Who can execute this locally?” instead of “Who actually holds influence?”
“How fast can we enter?” instead of “What must not break if we enter?”
“Who is available?” instead of “Who is structurally aligned?”
Execution then becomes efficient — but efficiently wrong.
Why cross-border strategy amplifies errors
When operating across jurisdictions and cultures, three layers interact:
Formal structures (law, governance, contracts)
Informal power (networks, legitimacy, access)
Cultural logic (how decisions are perceived, delayed, or blocked)
Most strategies address the first layer only.
The second and third layers are discovered too late — often during execution, when reversal becomes costly or impossible.
Strategy is not a plan. It is a lens.
Good strategy does not accelerate action.It filters decisions.
Before asking how to execute, leaders should be clear on:
What must remain non-negotiable
Where ambiguity is acceptable
Which risks are structural (not operational)
Who must be trusted — and why
This clarity reduces execution complexity more than any operational excellence.
A simple test
If your strategy can be handed directly to an execution team without further reframing,it is probably incomplete.
Upstream advisory exists for one reason:to prevent irreversible decisions made under false clarity.
MG Advisory & Peru Prestige provide confidential, upstream strategic advisory for leaders, investors, and principals operating across Europe and Peru.Advisory is engaged selectively, by alignment.
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