How to execute your strategy successfully

Linda’s business was going backwards. They needed a fresh vision and strategy or they would not survive. She listened to teams at all levels in the company. She outlined her view of the future if nothing changed. People saw the case for change. Linda and her team created a bold future for their organisation.

That was not the end though. She had lived through too many vision and strategy statements posted on the walls that did not go much further.

Linda acknowledged that that she could only achieve a game-changing vision and strategy by elevating her leadership. She ended the story she told herself, she was an impostor who could not be an outstanding leader. It was a familiar story which had haunted her in her career whenever she took on a stretch objective.

Impostor syndrome goes with the territory of being a game-changing leader. If you are playing a big game, you will have experienced some doubt about your capacity to deliver. In fact, if you have not experienced it, chances are the game is not big enough.

Linda put her impostor story to rest by focusing on her strengths. Her can-do superpower had got her so far. But to achieve the fresh strategy she had to reinvent herself or she would burn out. That meant giving her team members opportunities to step up instead of seeing every problem as something for her to solve. She reconnected with her passion to get the best from people around her; to see them shine. There is now plenty of evidence of her success.

Her self-reflection meant that she could ask her leadership team to step up their leadership. She was being a role model for the leadership she expected from her team. They rose to the challenge and executed the bold vision and strategy that had helped shape.

Linda illustrates the point that leadership and strategy go hand in hand.

In the book, Uncommon Leadership, the authors Phil Higson and Anthony Sturgess, suggest that, “The two fields of strategy and leadership are often taught separately in our business schools, when in practice they should go hand-in-hand.” They add that, “Leadership is needed to bring vision, purpose and life to any strategic plan.”

🙋 What is the key to executing strategy in your experience? 🙋‍♀️

Best regards, Brian

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