Health care historically has been a very siloed field that's organized around medical specialties - urology, cardiac surgery, and so forth - and around the supply of these specialty services. The patient is the ping-pong ball that moves from service to service.

If all you're trying to do is essentially the same thing as your rivals, then it's unlikely that you'll be very successful.

Competitive strategy is about being different. It means deliberately choosing a different set of activities to deliver a unique mix of value.

A target should go with every goal. A target is the value that defines success.

If your goal is anything but profitability - if it's to be big, or to grow fast, or to become a technology leader - you'll hit problems.

The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do.

Strategy is about setting yourself apart from the competition. It's not a matter of being better at what you do - it's a matter of being different at what you do.