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Open Strategy in Practice with Julia Hautz: Turning Participation into Strategic Advantage
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What if strategy wasn’t a closed-door ritual—but a way to build commitment from those who deliver it?
In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Mike Jones is joined by Julia Hautz—Professor of Strategic Management at the University of Innsbruck and co-author of Open Strategy—to explore what really happens when leaders invite participation into the strategy process.
This isn’t about consensus. And it’s not about giving everyone a vote. It’s about designing strategy so it’s recognised, understood, and owned by the people closest to reality.
Julia shares insights from years of research and organisational engagement, unpacking the myths, the structural discipline, and the leadership mindset required to make openness work. From crisis response to long-term strategy shaping, she lays out why open strategy isn’t soft—it’s a strategic advantage when done well.
🔍 In this episode:
- Why open strategy isn’t democracy—and why that matters
- How participation creates psychological ownership and commitment
- The risk of surface-level engagement and ‘black box’ decisions
- What leaders fear about openness—and how to manage it
- How to create structure without killing initiative
- Why “just involving people” usually backfires
- The power of openness in times of crisis
🎧 Keywords: open strategy, strategic participation, leadership, decision-making, legitimacy, organisational culture, strategy execution, transparency, inclusion, commitment, strategy process
📘 Learn more in Julia’s book Open Strategy (co-authored with Christian Stadler, Kurt Matzler and Stephan Friedrich von den Eichen) https://amzn.eu/d/8RpROIT
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🔗 Full episodes, show notes, and resources: https://www.lbiconsulting.com/strategymeetsreality-podcast
📺 Watch on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@StrategyMeetsReality
🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Buzzsprout
💬 Connect with host Mike Jones → https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-h-jones/
Chapters
1. Introduction to Open Strategy (00:00:00)
2. The Importance of Openness in Strategy Development (00:03:15)
3. Challenges of Implementing Open Strategy (00:05:49)
4. Managing Expectations and Communication (00:08:46)
5. Long-term Engagement in Open Strategy (00:11:07)
6. Getting Started with Open Strategy (00:14:13)
7. Crisis Management and Open Strategy (00:16:58)
8. Building a Culture of Openness (00:19:27)
9. The Role of Leadership in Open Strategy (00:22:18)
10. Understanding Open Strategy (00:27:29)
11. The Importance of Structure in Open Strategy (00:33:01)
12. Breaking Down Barriers in Strategy (00:39:26)
13. Encouraging Experimentation in Strategy (00:44:11)
14. Final Reflections (00:48:06)
12 episodes
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