Inside the Strategy Room 269. Strategy under geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty
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Sep 18, 2025 Matt Watters, a leader in geopolitics and strategy at McKinsey, and Ezra Greenberg, a partner advising on macroeconomic trends, delve into navigating today’s uncertainties. They discuss how geopolitical shifts, trade volatility, and export controls impact strategic decisions. The duo emphasizes that waiting for stability isn’t viable; instead, companies must make bold moves. Practical strategies like scenario planning and competitive war-gaming are highlighted, offering executives tools to thrive amidst the chaos.
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Map Full Supply-Chain Exposure
- Map tariff exposure across your full supply chain, including goods that cross borders multiple times.
- Prioritize products and regions by exposure to quantify near-term cost and strategic risks.
Protect, Prepare, Then Maneuver
- Protect downside first, then prepare to act by identifying competitive exposure and readying supplier/manufacturing moves.
- Execute maneuvers like relocating manufacturing or shifting suppliers once uncertainty clears enough to justify action.
Three Steps Of Strategic Planning
- McKinsey frames strategy in three steps: design (ideas), mobilize (prepare the organization), and execute.
- Mobilization often determines success more than idea generation or execution alone.