What Van Gogh’s Starry Night Can Teach Us About Business Strategy

Seeing beyond the spreadsheet into a deeper, more inspired kind of vision

Let’s be honest: when we think about strategy, the first images that come to mind are usually charts, bullet points, or slide decks. Precision. Planning. Control.

Great strategy isn’t just designed -it’s felt. Like art, it moves people, stirs energy, and dares to be different

But what if we could borrow insight from the world of art -from color, emotion, movement- and learn to think about strategy in a more creative, human, and even poetic way? Enter: Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night.

WHAT DO YOU FEEL WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT?

Swirls of sky.

A bold, uncontainable moon.

The tiny town beneath a universe in motion.

It’s not a logical piece - it’s emotional. Intuitive. Alive.

And that’s exactly why it’s the perfect metaphor for business strategy in uncertain, fast-moving times.

We’re not navigating static markets anymore. We’re navigating something much more like Starry Night - dynamic, layered, even chaotic at times. And that requires a different way of seeing.

STRATEGY ISN’T A STATIC MAP - IT’S A LIVING CANVAS

Many organizations treat strategy like a map: “If we go from Point A to Point B using these steps, we will win.”

But Van Gogh didn’t follow a fixed path - he trusted the emotion of the moment, the energy of movement, the rhythm of flow. He painted what he felt as much as what he saw.

Likewise, modern leaders must learn to paint with vision - not just with plans. Strategy is no longer just about knowing every step in advance. It’s about tuning into patterns, sensing shifts, and choosing strokes with courage.

5 LESSONS FROM STARRY NIGHT FOR STRATEGY-MINDED LEADERS:

1. Embrace Motion

The sky in Starry Night is moving. Wildly. Strategy today must do the same.

Don’t expect the market, your competitors, or your customers to stay still.

Build fluidity into your strategy, not just fixed goals. Create space to adapt.

2. Let Vision Lead

Van Gogh painted this scene from memory, not realism. Strategy isn’t always about reacting to what is - it’s about imagining what could be.

Vision should be bold enough to inspire, yet grounded enough to guide.

3. Honor Complexity

Starry Night is layered. Color over color. Shape over shape.

Strategy should reflect the interconnectedness of people, departments, culture, and values—not just isolated KPIs.

Complex doesn’t mean unclear. It means alive.

4. Make Space for Emotion

The painting isn’t just seen—it’s felt. That matters.

We pretend business is rational, but decisions are made emotionally—by customers, employees, and leaders alike.

Good strategy taps into energy, meaning, and belief, not just logic.

5. Dare to Be Distinct

Van Gogh didn’t try to paint like anyone else. He painted like Van Gogh.

Your strategy shouldn’t look like your competitor’s.

It should reflect your unique identity, your culture, your “why.”

STRATEGY AS ART, LEADERSHIP AS EXPRESSION

You can’t always measure inspiration - but you can feel when a team is aligned, when a vision excites, when an idea sparks something beyond data.

That’s what the best strategies do. They don't just chart a course - they awaken energy.

A PROMPT TO REFLECT:

If your current business strategy were a painting, what would it look like?

Would it be alive, layered, and moving - or neat, safe, and flat?

And more importantly: Does it make anyone feel something?

YOU DON’T NEED TO BE AN ARTIST- BUT YOU ARE A CREATOR

Strategy isn’t about being right. It’s about being awake. It’s about seeing the currents in the chaos and creating something bold enough to last through the night.

So the next time you’re sitting in a meeting with another deck of bullet points, ask yourself:

Where’s the swirl? Where’s the spark? Where’s the starry night?

Because business doesn’t need more perfect plans.

It needs more courageous visionaries who are willing to lead with color, curiosity, and conviction.

That’s the art.

That’s the strategy.

That’s Unscripted Leadership.