Does your strategy resemble a trash bin, a convenient place to put anything and everything, resembling a hodgepodge of ideas, initiatives, pet projects, as well as organizational targets?
Strategy often stumbles when it becomes the dumping point for too many ideas and initiatives that are confusing and difficult to follow.
The strategic leader inspires people to work together for future success. This means wading through ambiguity and uncertainly, not trying to develop a perfect picture for the future based on forecasts that will quickly be irrelevant, rather a sketch that evokes purpose, value creation for customers and growth for the company.
This willingness to insist on a clear and compelling future picture of success is a hallmark trait of the strategic leader. Inexperienced operational leaders, or even impatient executive leaders, give up too quickly and resort to “how tactics,” characterized by too many priorities, projects, and programs; meaning if everything is a priority, then nothing is a priority.
How senseful is your strategy?
Are you and your leadership team practicing patience and discipline to craft a meaningful and inspiring “what” for your company’s future before dropping down into strategic implementation, or the “how”?
The strategic leader understands that strategy-how always follows strategy-what; they do not let strategic debates derail by mixing what themes with how themes.
If you are interested in developing your strategic leadership skills, consider joining me and other strategic leaders to strengthen these skills this October in Munich; here’s the link
https://www.dannorenberg.com/becoming-a-strategic-leader-program
Image from 123RF #21958697 by blamb