In “Playing to Win”, A.G. Lafley and Roger Martin outline one of the most enduring and practical strategy frameworks in business. It’s simple, structured, and, most importantly, actionable. Rather than treating strategy as an abstract exercise, Lafley frames it as a set of integrated choices that help an organisation define how it will win.

Having worked with several law firms across EMEA on developing and implementing their strategies, we’ve found this model particularly useful. It translates very neatly into the professional services context, helping leaders cut through complexity and focus on what truly drives competitive advantage.

Based on our experience, we thought we’d apply Lafley’s five interrelated strategy questions law firms seeking to clarify their strategic choices.

  1. What is your winning aspiration?

For most law firms, the default answer is something like “to provide excellent service to our clients.” Another popular choice is “to be the leading law firm in…” While that’s important, it’s not enough. A winning aspiration needs to capture ambition; how your firm defines success and what “winning” looks like in your market.

For example:

  • To be the most trusted legal partner for growth-minded businesses in Africa.
  • To lead in complex cross-border dispute resolution across the EMEA region.
  • To shape the future of ESG legal advisory through expertise and thought leadership.

A winning aspiration is your firm’s guiding star. It’s not a slogan; it’s a clear articulation of purpose that rallies people and guides decision-making.

  1. Where will you play?

No firm can effectively compete everywhere. The best-performing law firms make deliberate choices about where they will focus. This question asks you to define your “playing field” across dimensions such as:

  • Geographies: domestic, regional, or cross-border?
  • Client segments: multinationals, high-growth private entities, public sector clients, or international law firms looking for a local partner?
  • Practice areas: Corporate and M&A, Energy, Construction, Technology, or Dispute Resolution?
  • Industries: which sectors offer the greatest opportunity for depth, differentiation, and profitability?

For instance, a firm might decide to focus on energy transition projects in Africa and the Middle East rather than chasing general corporate mandates. Clarity on where you will play is the foundation of focus and focus drives performance.

  1. How will you win?

This is the heart of strategy. How will your firm win in the chosen markets? What’s your distinctive advantage, the reason clients choose you over others?

For many firms, the differentiator is not technical expertise alone (assuming most peer firms are comparably competent), but how they deliver. Perhaps it’s:

  • Deeper client understanding and relationship management
  • A sector-led model that integrates legal and commercial advice
  • Faster, more cost-effective service through process efficiency or technology
  • A strong, consistent cross-practice team culture
  • Winning requires identifying your firm’s unique right to win; what you can do better or differently than competitors, and what matters most to your clients.

  1. What capabilities must be in place?

Once you know where and how you’ll win, the next question is what capabilities you’ll need to do it consistently.

For a law firm, that might include:

  • A deep bench of partners and associates in your chosen sectors or geographies
  • Effective client relationship management systems and data-driven insights
  • Business development skills and habits embedded across the partnership
  • Knowledge management and technology infrastructure that supports collaboration
  • Capabilities are not just about individual talent; they’re about the systems, tools, and behaviours that create repeatable success.

  1. What management systems are required?

Finally, the systems and structures that support your strategy must be aligned with it. This includes:

  • How performance is measured and rewarded
  • How decisions are made and communicated
  • The cadence of strategic review and implementation tracking
  • The culture that reinforces accountability and collaboration

For example, if your aspiration is to become more client-centric, your systems should measure and reward client satisfaction, cross-practice collaboration, and long-term relationship value, not just short-term billings.

Bringing It All Together

The power of Lafley’s framework lies in its simplicity. Each question connects to the next, creating a cascade of choices that align purpose, markets, advantage, capability, and structure. For law firms, asking and answering these questions honestly can provide remarkable clarity. It moves strategy from lofty ambition to practical design, from debate to decision.

At Echo Advisory, we help law firms across EMEA apply frameworks like this to build clear, actionable strategies and, crucially, to implement them effectively. Because strategy isn’t just about choosing, it’s about delivering on those choices.