Thomas P. Ference, PhD, and Paul W. Thurman, MBA, are professors at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health in its Department of Health Policy and Management. Tom and Paul have taught management courses at Columbia Business School and in leading corporate, public, not-for-profit programs around the world and have written a number of cases, simulations, and exercises. Professors Ference and Thurman also have significant for-profit, public, and not-for-profit advisory experience across a broad range of sectors. Their strategy text was created as a result of their decades of experience as teachers, researchers, management consultants, and executive coaches. By creating a better balance among the three key strategic thinking skills-conceptual, analytical, and operational-Tom and Paul believe that any organization, any leader, and any team can drive better performance, build better relationships with stakeholders, and create happier, more productive teams.