On being strategic - part deux!

In my last post I talked about some of the qualities or characteristics of what I suggested made a leader a strategic leader - being visionary or anticipatory, being able to critically evaluate options and information, being comfortable with ambiguity, and being able to take action with imperfect information.  The next logical question is, of course, is how does an aspiring leader develop these qualities?  How does one go from being a manager or a good leader to a strategic leader?  Noted below are some the tactics that I believe can help you become more strategic in your leadership outlook.

First, while it may border on the more than slightly obvious, there is no doubt that experience plays into one's ability to become a better strategic thinker.  You have to have had the opportunity - or sought out opportunity - to get a better feel for a variety of circumstances you will likely face in the future.  Experience can be a great teacher.

Raw experience is certainly not enough.  It's somewhat akin to only perfect practice supporting achievement of perfect results.  There must be mindful consideration at play as it relates to experience.  All too often managers or leaders are merely along for the proverbial ride.   They don't truly appreciate or take the time to understand the forces at play inside and outside their organization. They are being given free lessons in leadership but are not at all taking advantage of the opportunity.  Unfortunately, this often directly relates back to the concept of being busy versus being productive and giving into the tyranny of the urgent.  Leaders must have the strength to step back long enough to see the big picture at play and understand how the forces at play are impacting their efforts and objectives.

Directly related to my first point, I believe to be a strategic leader one must take blinders off and be intentional about seeking new knowledge and experiences outside of our business or industry.  New strategic insights are far less likely to come from merely observing your competitors or others in your particular sector or industry.  If we are to challenge ourselves as leaders we have to really own a key requirement or expectation to be scanners of the broad environment in which we find ourselves, we have to stretch and grow our own capacity, and appreciate that breakthrough thinking is more likely to come from seeing challenges and opportunities through a completely different lens.  While it seems that every business sector thinks they are unique, I am constantly reinforcing with my clients the value of broad-based learning and networking to enhance their peripheral leadership vision.

Similar to the point above, while I suggest leaders seek out information beyond their particular business sector I also recommend that they appreciate and leverage the diversity of their team - direct reports, peers, etc.  As individuals we have one set of eyes and ears which we then filter through our own internal filters.  Leaders must first appreciate that they can't be in all places at once to capture all relevant data.  Secondly they must come to realize that they may not even be capable - because of their filters and biases - of really seeing, appreciating and interpreting the data streaming towards them.  This is where they have to develop trust and confidence in others to help in the broad-based environmental scanning that is required to succeed in today's dynamic business environment.

These requirements also require an ability to cultivate personal humility and a commitment to lifelong learning.  A leader should think of their skills, ability and knowledge much like the newest laptop or tablet - almost obsolete the day you buy it.  Leaders must be open to new learning appreciating the speed of change and the need to constantly develop and hone their leadership and business skills.  What you know today is not going to be enough to be successful tomorrow.  Even the act of learning itself will help to continue to develop your personal capacity, ability to be comfortable with change, and even a desire to initiate change.

Being a strategic leader also often implies that you may be the only one with clarity on the vision forward.  This implies a requirement to spend time and invest in one's ability to understand others and to communicate a strategic vision in a way that others can understand and commit to.  This implies time spent with key stakeholders ensuring open lines of communication, development of trust, and an appreciation of different perspectives on risks and benefits for individual stakeholders and stakeholder groups.  A leader has to develop this level of understanding and appreciation of others in order to communicate or tailor a message and the vision in a way that others can understand and commit to.  One size will not fit all.

Ultimately, all of the above elements lead to a requirement for a leader to make decisions in the face of imperfect information.  Experience and information are only as good as the decisions that are actually taken.  Leaders have to gain some level of comfort in actually making decisions and taking action.  We have to pull the trigger, weighing as best we can the costs and benefits, evaluate results, learn and adjust as necessary.  Appreciate the fact that mistakes will be made but develop the resiliency to bounce back from less than optimal results.  Being a strategic leader requires courage.

Strategic leadership can be developed through planned and thoughtful effort.  Seek out experiences, be mindful to draw the right lessons from those experiences, scan the environment broadly, leverage the diversity of your team and network, commit to your ongoing learning, enhance your ability to communicate and influence, and ultimately take action.  It's About (Strategic) Leadership!
______________________________

Greg Hadubiak, MHSA, FACHE(R), CEC, PCC
President & Co-Founder
BreakPoint Solutions
gregh@breakpoint.solutions

Helping leaders realize their strengths and enabling organizations to achieve their potential through the application of my leadership experience and coaching skills. I act as a point of leverage for my clients. I AM their Force Multiplier.

On being strategic...

One of the hallmarks of an accomplished leader is being strategic.  And that perspective is certainly reinforced with a number of leaders that I have engaged with whether they be a CEO with a long track record or a leader who is aspiring to advance up the corporate ladder.  Regardless of circumstance there is a desire, sometimes even bordering on a sense of urgency, to develop one's strategic outlook, capacity and skills.  There is a perceived risk that one's leadership career will stall for lack of developing strategic skills and outlook. While that may be true - and I believe one could argue that too many leaders are in significant positions without strategic skills - the first question to address is what does it mean to be strategic.

So what does it mean to be strategic?  I believe there a few key components or factors that define what it means to be strategic.  First, there is certainly some element of being visionary or anticipatory.  Strategic leaders are not just focused on what's directly in front of them.  Rather there is a willingness and an ability to look forward many years and consider a number of variables that might impact the business.  Make no mistake, the ability and willingness to look far beyond the horizon does not all equate to clarity of vision.  However, by keeping "eyes up" a leader permits themselves to see challenges and opportunities long before they become evident to everyone else.

Because the future view is cloudy being a strategic thinker requires another essential skill - the ability to critically evaluate all of the information coming at you.  Very often the varied sources of information can also be contradictory.  A strategic leaders has to be able to critically evaluate this disparate data stream to ensure that decisions taken in the short-term are a combination of reasoned and assertive.  Competitive advantage is not gained by being timid but nor is an organization successful if it responds to every twitch in the marketplace.

Both of the above factors also imply an ability of a strategic leader to be comfortable with ambiguity. Rarely - if ever - is the information available to a leader 100% accurate or complete.  I have often tried to get this message across to leaders through a weather analogy.  If there is a 60% chance of rain how do you prepare?  How is that different if there is a 10% chance versus an 80% chance?  When do you have enough information to act?  Waiting until you have 100% certainty is not strategic nor is likely to support development or maintenance of competitive advantage.

Ultimately, a vision is only worthwhile or a leader is only recognized as being visionary if action is attached to that vision.  Action without vision is a nightmare.  Vision without action is a dream.  Those leaders ultimately recognized as being strategic have the courage and the determination to see their vision through to conclusion.  Being strategic implies a necessary degree of courage (in the face of imperfect information noted above) and the fact that most of the people you have to work with as a leader may have a different view of the world than you do and/or are content with the world and their place in it as things currently are.  This latter point is particularly important if a business is in fact enjoying great success in the moment.  Why fix what isn't broken?  Why break something that has been working well? 

I've identified only a few elements of what I believe characterizes a strategic leader.  I could certainly add in more elements such as humility, ability to influence or communicate, and a commitment to continuous learning.  More importantly at this point what needs to be addressed - in my next post - is how does one develop those traits that distinguish a strategic leader from others.  What steps and actions can one undertake and engage in to develop one's strategic acumen?  I don't believe it's luck of the draw or "natural born" leadership.  

Strategic leadership also requires strategic planning and action on a personal level.   Concrete, intentional planning and action can help any leader further hone their skill in service of their career and business.  It's about leadership for self and others.
______________________________

Greg Hadubiak, MHSA, FACHE(R), CEC, PCC
President & Co-Founder
BreakPoint Solutions
www.breakpoint.solutions
gregh@breakpoint.solutions




Helping leaders realize their strengths and enabling organizations to achieve their potential through the application of my leadership experience and coaching skills. I act as a point of leverage for my clients. I AM their Force Multiplier.