Is Efficiency Enough to Unlock Durable Advantage?

Martin Reeves has spent decades advising CEOs on how to think about strategy. As head of BCG’s Henderson Institute, he has built a career challenging leaders to balance efficiency with imagination and to prepare for the next disruptive shift.

In this conversation, Martin tells Henrik and Jeremy why AI alone will not give companies an edge and might even strip them of advantage. He unpacks the “two jobs of business”: playing the current game better than anyone else while simultaneously asking what the next game will be. He argues that AI only sharpens this paradox, forcing leaders to think faster, experiment more, and draw on human imagination in new ways.

The discussion covers the risks of over-optimization, the future of consulting, and the paradoxes of AI adoption. Along the way, Reeves explains how AI can accelerate exploration, why framing the right questions is the strategist’s most important job, and why times of disruption are when number twos become number ones or disappear altogether.

Key Takeaways: 

• Strategy is the double game
  Long-term success means playing today’s game efficiently while also inventing tomorrow’s. Henrik and Jeremy stress how rare it is for leaders to do both, yet this is exactly what AI demands.
• AI efficiency without imagination is a trap
  Adopting the same tools as competitors drives efficiency but commoditizes advantage. The hosts underline that imagination and unique use are what create real differentiation.
• The strategist’s edge is asking the right question
  Martin highlights that strategy starts with framing the real question. Henrik and Jeremy note that questioning and cognitive diversity are crucial in the AI era.
• Disruption reshuffles winners and losers
  Times of change are when number twos become number ones and leaders disappear. The wrap-up emphasizes the urgency of experimenting and adapting now.
• Human imagination stays essential
  AI can accelerate exploration, but creativity, ethics, and originality remain uniquely human — and decisive for future leadership.

LinkedIn: Martin Reeves | LinkedIn
BCG Henderson Institute: Home - BCG Henderson Institute
Martins books: The Imagination Machine // Like: The Button That Changed the World

00:00 Intro: Two Jobs in Strategy, Today’s Game and Tomorrow’s Game
01:33 Martin Reeves and the Henderson Institute
04:02 Defining Strategy in the AI Era
05:12 AI and Human Imagination
09:20 Efficiency vs. Competitive Advantage
13:18 Organizational Design for the Future
23:09 The Paradox of Imagination in Business
33:02 Harnessing Serendipity for Innovation
35:18 Devil’s Advocacy and Meeting Optimization
36:51 Where AI Helps and Hurts Organizations
38:16 The Limits of AI Training Data
42:56 How Martin Uses AI Day to Day
47:09 What’s the Next Game for Consulting
53:15 Final Reflections

📜 Read the transcript for this episode: Transcript of How Do You Strategize in the AI Era? – with Martin Reeves, Head of BCG’s Think Tank

For more prompts, tips, and AI tools. Check out our website: https://www.beyondtheprompt.ai/ or follow Jeremy or Henrik on Linkedin:

Henrik: https://www.linkedin.com/in/werdelin
Jeremy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremyutley

Show edited by Emma Cecilie Jensen.