Every advance has a point beyond which further success weakens the victor; recognising it is harder than winning.
Clausewitz's term for the point where an advance outruns its supply and consolidation. Napoleon in Moscow in 1812 is the standard case, and acquisitions past the point of integrable capacity are the commercial one.
In practice
- An acquisition strategy that worked for three deals fails on the fourth, which is larger than the integration team can absorb.
- A restaurant group opens its fifth site and the head chef can no longer be in any kitchen, which was the thing being replicated.
- Standing
- Applies to acquisitions, expansions, and political mandates as much as to campaigns.
- Subject
- Law & Politics
- Essay
- Competing accounts of how power works