The authors say that all employees, from the CEO to a retail salesperson, have to make strategic choices. In large companies, many individual choices and broader strategies function at once and in conversation with one another. For example, one employee’s strategy could play into a brand strategy, which in turn connects with a larger sector strategy, which forms part of the overarching company strategy. Each strategy flows together to form a cohesive strategy that determines the overall success of the company—the authors call this a “nested cascade,” a waterfall made up of smaller waterfalls.
Your choices may look different depending on your position, but no matter what your job title is, the authors contend you should always play to win. In fact, this is the driving force of the waterfall strategy: You should make every choice with the express purpose of winning, not just competing. Lafley and Martin tell us competition is fierce, so if you’re not playing with a competitive mindset, you’ll be defeated by more aggressive and strategic rivals.