“Questions are the language of strategy.” What a powerful message from @ Nina bowman.
Have you ever been told that you need to be more strategic in your leadership role?
One study showed the 97% of senior leaders thought being strategic was the leadership behaviour most important to their organization’s success. Another found 96% wished they had more time to be strategic (Clarke, 2018).
Bowman is explicit that strategic thinking is not reserved for those in the C-suite. Every one of us, at every level of the organisation, should be doing it.
But how do you do it? She offers these 4 tips in her Harvard Business Review article:
– Know: observe and seek trends.
– Think: ask the tough questions.
– Speak: sound strategic.
– Act: make time and embrace conflict.
That second point really resonates with me. I’ve been involved in a number of strategic planning initiatives, and I am often left frustrated by those I am working with who just don’t seem very curious. They think they have all the answers, but all they have is one perspective. If you have your blinkers on, you are unable to see the important opinions, ideas, concerns, trends and opportunities outside your narrow field of focus.
Be curious. And ask others the tough questions which will provide the insights needed to identify the right priorities.
Do you have any advice on how to be more strategic and make strategic thinking a part of your day-to-day leadership routine? Share in the comments below.
And if you need to build your strategic thinking capabilities, just type STRATEGIC in the comments or send me a DM. – @Natalie, CEO & Founder
