Strategic Minds The Power of Frameworks as Disruptive Catalysts
In this episode of Strategic Minds, host Rich Horwath speaks with legendary strategist and bestselling author Geoffrey A. Moore, whose landmark books - Crossing the Chasm, Zone to Win, and Dealing with Darwin - have transformed how leaders approach innovation, disruption, and go-to-market strategy.
Moore shares how storytelling, pattern recognition, and intellectual curiosity shaped his unique approach to strategic frameworks - tools that help executives make smarter decisions in high-risk, low-data environments. Together, they unpack how frameworks act as disruptive catalysts, enabling leaders to synthesize complexity, uncover trapped value, and allocate resources more strategically.
Through examples from Salesforce, Microsoft, and Amazon, Moore explains the power of “zoning the enterprise” - aligning performance, productivity, incubation and transformation zones to optimize investment, leadership focus, and execution. His insights reveal why frameworks are not formulas but languages of strategic alignment, empowering leaders to think clearly and act decisively amid rapid business transformation.
🔑 Key Quotes
“The first part of strategy is context. The second part of the strategy is, okay, where do I apply force to have… it’s like, where’s the fulcrum?”
“I think what Microsoft did under Bill Gates, and Balmer doesn’t get any credit, which is not fair — Gates and Balmer and now Satya — they’ve never been the disruptor. They’ve always been the fast follower, but they’ve been amazing at fast following.”
“I think of it as a pyramid a bit — with business models at the top, and then the business model gives rise to the operating model, and the operating model gives rise to the infrastructure model.”
“I do think you ought to have a library of frameworks. I think you ought to bring them out and kind of say, ‘Is this helping or not?’”
“And resource allocation really is the essence. This is the deliverable from strategy.”
🏆 Winsights
Our Winsight today comes from Charles Darwin, the English naturalist, who said:
“It’s not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change.”
As you think about your business, your leadership, and your performance, ask yourself: How open to change and evolution am I?
We don’t want to repeat the same patterns year after year or rely on tactics that no longer serve us. Strategic leaders evolve — they adapt, improve, and think differently to drive growth for themselves and their organizations.
🔗 Links:
Connect with Geoffrey A Moore:
Website: https://geoffreyamoore.com/
LinkedIn: Geoffrey A Moore on LinkedIn
Books: Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling Technology Products to Mainstream Customers
Zone to Win: Organizing to Compete in an Age of Disruption
Dealing with Darwin: How great Companies Innovate at Every Stage of Evolution
The Infinite Staircase: What the Universe Tells Us about Life, Ethics, and Morality
🌐 Strategic Thinking Institute Website
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