There is a powerful idea captured in the biblical expression that new wine should not be poured into old wineskins. If it is, the wineskins burst, and both are lost. The same is true in organisations. Many companies develop new strategies, launch transformation programmes, and pursue bold ambitions, yet expect the existing organisation with its old structures, old capabilities, old cultural habits, and old systems to deliver new outcomes. It rarely works. So, if you are wondering why your plans are not achieving the results, maybe it is because you are pouring new wine into old wineskins. Some of us believe it is the problem with politics and governance in Nigeria, but that is a conversation for another day!
In organisational terms, the “wineskin” consists of four critical elements of organisational development: structure, people, culture, and systems.
In organisational terms, the “wineskin” consists of four critical elements of organisational development: structure, people, culture, and systems. When these are not aligned to strategy, even the most well-crafted plans struggle to translate into results.
Organisations often invest heavily in strategy development but leave their structures largely unchanged. Reporting lines, decision rights, and governance mechanisms continue to reflect yesterday’s priorities rather than tomorrow’s ambitions. Structure is not neutral – it shapes behaviour, speed, and accountability. Leading management thinking emphasises that the operating model – how work is organised, decisions are made, and accountability is distributed – is the bridge between strategy and execution. Organisations that redesign structure to reflect strategic priorities – clarifying roles, simplifying layers, and strengthening cross-functional coordination – create the conditions for execution. Those that do not often find that strategy gets trapped in silos and slowed down by bureaucracy.
“Organisations that redesign structure to reflect strategic priorities – clarifying roles, simplifying layers, and strengthening cross-functional coordination – create the conditions for execution.”
The second element is people. Strategy ultimately gets executed by individuals, not documents. This is where Jim Collins’ insight from Good to Great remains highly relevant: organisations must get the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats. While widely quoted, this idea is often underapplied. Strategy shifts typically require different capabilities, mindsets, and leadership profiles. Research in organisational behaviour reinforces the importance of person–organisation fit – people perform best when their capabilities and values align with what the organisation requires. In practice, this means conducting rigorous talent reviews focused on strategic roles, deliberately redeploying talent, making tough decisions about your existing talent, and building leadership pipelines aligned to the future state. Without this, organisations attempt to execute new strategies with teams that are not equipped or not inclined to deliver them.
Then culture, and this is where strategy often meets its greatest resistance. In a previous article, I argued that “strategy proposes, but culture disposes”. That insight remains central here. Organisations may articulate new strategic priorities, but culture determines how people behave, and behaviour drives results. Research by John Kotter and James Heskett shows that organisations with cultures aligned to strategy significantly outperform those where culture and strategy are disconnected. At the same time, multiple subcultures often exist within organisations, especially after mergers or during rapid growth, pulling effort in different directions. The implication for leaders is clear: culture cannot be left to chance. It must be actively shaped. This requires defining the specific behaviours the strategy demands, identifying gaps between espoused values and actual practice, and reinforcing desired behaviours through leadership example, incentives, and consequences. Strong culture is a powerful asset, but only when it is aligned to strategy.
Finally, systems and processes. This is where many strategies quietly succeed or fail. Organisations may articulate bold ambitions, but their performance management systems, budgeting processes, communication flows, and decision-making routines often remain unchanged. Research shows that performance is driven less by intention and more by systems – what is measured, discussed, and rewarded. Kaplan and Norton’s work on strategy execution emphasises the need to translate strategy into measurable objectives and align systems accordingly. In practice, this means redesigning scorecards, aligning resource allocation with strategic priorities, and ensuring that review processes focus not just on reporting results but on driving insight and action. When systems reinforce business-as-usual, strategy struggles to gain traction.
Viewed this way, the organisation itself becomes either the enabler or the constraint. Structure shapes workflows. People determine capability. Culture influences behaviour. Systems reinforce priorities. If these elements remain anchored in the past, they will resist the future the strategy is trying to create.
The lesson from both research and experience is clear. Strategy does not succeed or fail in rigorous analysis, fancy presentation slides or expensive weekend retreats; it succeeds or fails in the organisation. New strategies require new ways of working, new capabilities, new behaviours, and new systems. Leaders must therefore approach strategy not just as a planning exercise but as an organisational development challenge.
Organisations that recognise this take deliberate action. They realign structures to reflect priorities, ensure the right people are in critical roles, shape culture to support new behaviours, and redesign systems to reinforce execution. In doing so, they create organisations capable of delivering their strategic intent. Those that do not will continue to pour new wine into old wineskins and will continue to wonder why their strategies do not deliver the results they expect.
Omagbitse Barrow is the chief executive of Efiko Management Consulting, and his firm supports organisations and leaders to translate their strategy to results.
