What business owners really ought to steal from philosophy.

Let’s start with an uncomfortable truth: most business strategy decisions are made not on hard data, but on what feels like common sense. And common sense, as any philosopher will tell you, is just the name we give to shared delusions we haven’t questioned yet.

Now, before you roll your eyes and mutter something about philosophy being for bearded Frenchmen in black turtlenecks, hear me out. Because the odd thing is, philosophy is probably the most underused—and misunderstood—strategic tool in business.

Luc de Brabandere, a Belgian mathematician-turned-corporate philosopher (yes, that’s a thing), makes a persuasive case: philosophy doesn’t make business harder; it makes it clearer. And frankly, in a world where everyone’s obsessed with being more data-driven than thou, a bit of clarity is priceless.

Business is not reality. It’s your model of reality.

Most business owners don’t manage businesses. They manage mental models of businesses. There’s a difference.

Take this: you look at a dashboard and think, “Revenue’s up, costs are steady—good job, team.” But you’re not seeing the business—you’re seeing a convenient abstraction of it. You’re looking at the shadows on the wall, not the fire behind you. Hello, Plato’s Cave.

That’s what de Brabandere means when he says business owners must learn to think like philosophers. Because strategy isn’t about what to do next—it’s about what to think next. You can’t disrupt an industry if you’re still clinging to the same old frame.

Good strategy begins with doubt

Let’s say your sales are flatlining. You call a meeting. Someone suggests increasing ad spend. Another proposes bundling. It’s all very tactical.

But philosophy asks: what if we’re solving the wrong problem?

Philosophers love doubt. Descartes built an entire system of thought by doubting everything. Not to be contrarian, but because doubt forces clarity.

In business, we treat doubt as dangerous. We want quick answers, clean roadmaps, confident forecasts. But confidence without reflection is just ego in a spreadsheet.

Instead, try this next time you’re faced with a “no-brainer” decision: pause and ask, “What must be true for this to be a good idea?” That’s not hesitation. That’s higher-order thinking.

Read: The Pricing Strategy Dilemma: Balancing Profitability and Customer Retention

Ethics is the strategy no one wants to talk about

Philosophy also asks annoying (but necessary) questions like: “Should we?” instead of just “Can we?”

Too many businesses treat ethics like a side salad—optional, there for decoration. But real strategy isn’t just about outmanoeuvring competitors; it’s about aligning with your own values so you don’t end up on the front page of the Financial Review explaining why your “cost-cutting” scheme involved unpaid interns and a warehouse in Manila.

When you know what you won’t do, it sharpens what you can do. Boundaries create clarity.

Complex is not the same as complicated

Business problems often feel like spaghetti—tangled, messy, unpalatable. So we reach for linear solutions and PowerPoint decks full of logic. But some problems aren’t meant to be solved—they’re meant to be reframed.

De Brabandere draws a brilliant line: complicated problems need engineers; complex problems need philosophers.

If your business is a machine, then fine—tighten the bolts. But if your business is a living system (and spoiler alert: it is), then what you really need is perspective.

Read: The Most Effective Route to More Cash Before You Panic-Google ‘Growth Hacking’.

Read more Socrates and surround yourself with thinker minds.

In the end, what Luc de Brabandere is really saying is this: the best leaders are not the ones with the most answers. They’re the ones asking the most uncomfortable, un-googleable questions—and surrounding themselves with people who do the same.

Because in business—as in life—the enemy of progress is not ignorance, but the illusion of knowledge.

So next time you’re weighing up whether to get outside help, ask yourself: Will they challenge how I think, or just confirm what I already believe?

The best consultants don’t pander—they provoke. They don’t just help you do things right. They help you figure out whether you’re doing the right things in the first place.

You don’t need more data. You need better questions.

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Even the sharpest business minds can get stuck in the cave, staring at shadows. That’s where we come in. Our consultants bring not just experience, but a fresh, strategic lens—helping you challenge assumptions, reframe problems, and make wiser decisions. If you’re ready to think differently and gain a real competitive edge, let’s start the conversation.