3 ideas
Strategy is fundamentally different from other problem-solving because it operates against a hostile, independent will that adapts and reacts to your moves. Success therefore depends not on executing a fixed plan but on out-thinking and out-adapting an opponent who is simultaneously trying to do the same to you.
Sound strategy requires matching political objectives (ends) with chosen methods (ways) and available resources (means), and the three must remain in balance. When objectives outstrip resources or methods cannot achieve the goals, strategy fails regardless of tactical excellence on the battlefield.
Military force is not an end in itself but an instrument subordinate to political purpose, meaning every act of violence must serve a defined political aim. Viewing conflict this way reveals that purely military victory is meaningless if it does not advance the political conditions you actually want.