JOURNAL ARTICLE

You Should Be Able to Boil Your Strategy Down to a Single Clear Visualization.

  • Published In: Harvard Business Review, 2025, v. 103, n. 4. P. 98 1 of 3

  • Database: Business Source Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Cotter Salvado, João; Vermeulen, Freek 3 of 3

Abstract

The article focuses on the critical role of strategy visualizations in CEO presentations to investors and employees, demonstrating that clear, well-designed visualizations significantly enhance understanding and market response to corporate strategies. Analyzing 654 acquisition presentations, the authors found that including a compelling strategic rationale slide more than doubled positive investor reactions and had a greater impact than other visual aids. Drawing on research and a case study of South African bank Capitec, the article outlines five design principles for effective strategy visualizations: grouping ideas into three or four main concepts, layering details, using color and shading only to distinguish layers, indicating clear relationships among elements, and organizing the framework horizontally. Despite their proven benefits, fewer than 20% of corporate strategy visualizations effectively communicate strategic decisions, underscoring the need for executives to prioritize thoughtful visual design to align stakeholders and maximize value creation.

Additional Information

  • Source:Harvard Business Review. 2025/07, Vol. 103, Issue 4, p98
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Business and Management
  • Publication Date:2025
  • ISSN:0017-8012
  • Accession Number:185880787
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright © Harvard Business Publishing. All Rights Reserved. This content is intended for individual research use only, subject to the following: Unless permission is expressly granted in a separate license, this content may NOT be used for classroom or teaching use, which includes teaching materials, electronic reserves, course packs or persistent linking from syllabi. Please consult your institution's librarian about the nature of relevant licenses held by your institution and the restrictions that may or may not apply.Unless permission is expressly granted in a separate license, this content may NOT be used in corporate training and/or as corporate learning materials. For corporate users, please consult the specific terms of your company's license(s) for complete information and restrictions. For more information and teaching resources from Harvard Business Publishing including Harvard Business School Cases, eLearning products, and business simulations please visit hbsp.harvard.edu. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Looking to go deeper into this topic? Look for more articles on EBSCOhost.