Most leaders think they’ve got strategy down pat. They don’t.
Most leaders know that they need to make more time for strategic thinking. But they don’t.
Most leaders think strategic thinking starts with brand new ideas. They’re wrong.
And these mistakes are costly!
Consider these crazy statistics:
Only 2% of leaders are confident that they will achieve 80-100% of their strategic objectives.
In an alarming 49% of organisations, leaders spend only one day a month reviewing their strategic implementation.
So leaders doubt their ability to deliver, and don’t spend enough time reviewing their plan. Yikes!
Let’s go back to basics.
Successful leadership strategy starts with a plan, to develop the plan
Likely you know the fundamentals.
It’s about your WHY, your Compass.
We make sure we:
Clarify purpose
Articulate vision
Consider impact.
Smart leadership considers the destination before picking the map
Possibly, you stretch your thinking and make sure you have the big picture covered:
This is about WHERE you are headed. This is the Map of your journey.
We get clear when we:
Understand context
Generate ideas
Make decisions.
Next it’s time to get down to brass tacks. Details matter.
This is where we outline our Route Plan: how we get to where we want to go.
This is what we do next:
We craft a plan
We take action
We course correct.
Leadership responsibility means looking backwards as well as forwards
Leadership is an adventure! One of the joys of looking backwards is to see how far we’ve come. Then we can look forward to the next mountain to climb. In leading strategy, we need to look in both directions.
Want the full checklist? Here it is.
***
Related Articles:
Hybrid Team Success Ultimate Checklist
The best strategic leadership thinking needs a sounding board
How good is your strategic plan? Avoid these leadership mistakes
***
About the author, Canberra leadership expert Zoë Routh:
Canberra based leadership expert Zoe Routh shares the best strategic leadership thinking
Zoë Routh is one of Australia’s leading experts on people stuff - the stuff that gets in our way of producing results, and the stuff that lights us up. She works with the growers, makers, builders to make people stuff fun and practical.
Zoë is the author of four books: Composure - How centered leaders make the biggest impact, Moments - Leadership when it matters most, Loyalty - Stop unwanted staff turnover, boost engagement, and build lifelong advocates, and People Stuff - Beyond Personalities: An advanced handbook for leadership. People Stuff was awarded Book of the Year 2020 by the Smart WFM Australian Business Book Awards.
Zoë is also the producer of The Zoë Routh Leadership Podcast.