What passes for strategy in many businesses, government agencies, and military operations is ultimately just a mix of wishful thinking and a jumble of incoherent policies. In The Crux: How Leaders Become Strategists, UCLA professor emeritus Richard P. Rumelt argues that leaders become effective strategists when they focus on challenges rather than goals, pinpointing the “crux” of their pivotal challenge—the aspect that is both surmountable and promises the greatest progress—and taking decisive, coherent action to overcome it. I had the chance to connect with Professor Rumelt recently to discuss his paradigm-busting theory about strategy and how companies big and small can identify and surmount their biggest challenges.