---
id: "concept-open-strategy"
type: "concept"
source_timestamps: ["§ Shift the spotlight."]
tags: ["management", "strategy", "organizational-design"]
related: ["concept-heroic-founder-myth", "action-distribute-thinking"]
definition: "The practice of transparently sharing key dilemmas and inviting input across the organization to distribute both strategic thinking and psychological burden."
sources: ["tail2"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-tail2"
originDay: 2
articleStem: "hbr-tail-118-overcoming-self-doubt-launching"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2026/03/overcoming-self-doubt-when-launching-your-own-business"
sourceTitle: "Overcoming Self-Doubt When Launching Your Own Business"
---
# Open Strategy

**Open strategy** is the practice of transparently sharing key business dilemmas and inviting input across various levels of an organization, rather than hoarding strategic decisions at the executive level. By allowing direction to emerge from collective intelligence rather than solitary rumination, founders distribute not only the *intellectual* work but also the *psychological* burden of leadership. This operationalizes the shift away from the [[concept-heroic-founder-myth]] model, anchoring decisions in a shared mission and reducing the isolation ([[concept-structural-loneliness]]) that breeds self-doubt.

The hands-on version of this concept is the action [[action-distribute-thinking]].

**Definition:** The practice of transparently sharing key dilemmas and inviting input across the organization to distribute both strategic thinking and psychological burden.

*Enrichment / calibration:* “Open strategy” is an established term in management research describing wider participation and transparency in strategy formulation, including involving non-executives and external stakeholders — closely aligned with the source's usage. Amy Edmondson's work on **psychological safety** is a crucial adjacent framework: teams can only meaningfully participate in open strategy if they feel safe to speak candidly about risks, mistakes, and uncertainty. The practical tension with external high-confidence signaling is captured in [[question-balancing-confidence-and-vulnerability]].


## Related across articles
- [[concept-co-creation]]
- [[concept-collective-genius]]