More than ever before, organizations now need strong, capable strategic leaders who can provide strategic direction for their teams. The strategic-planning process ensures that organizations will survive and thrive through changes in the competitive marketplace. With a well-thought-out strategic plan, they will be positioned to achieve success over the long term.
Characteristics of Strategic Leaders
Leaders must be able to look toward the future and make strategic plans. When they are aware of opportunities and problems that will arise in the business environment, they can respond accordingly. A strategy helps leaders think in entirely new ways to ensure future success.
“Strategic planning” means planning for long-term success by continually leveraging new sources of information. A strategy enables leaders to anticipate changes, opportunities, and challenges in the business environment that will make an impact on the future of the organization and its members. Using this information, leaders can deliver innovative, value-added solutions for the business and its customers.
Roles in Strategic Leadership
As a manager, there are four different roles you can play in strategic leadership. First, you must understand the organization’s strategy. It’s essential that you are aware of how the strategy positions the organization to succeed in the future. Then, you can align your team’s activities to support the strategy. It is your role to understand strategic leadership characteristics and to execute on the strategic plan.
Leaders also contribute to the strategic-planning process by contributing new ideas and adding value to the business. Finally, they must create a strategic plan at the local level; leaders must have a strategic plan for their team and function that aligns with the strategy of the overall organization.
Within your department or business, you have customers and services or products that you oversee and are ultimately your responsibility. You must pay attention to the opportunities and risks that are relevant for your team and create a strategy for achieving and improving results in the long term.
Responsibilities in Leadership
It is not enough to maintain the status quo. Leaders have always been responsible for reducing costs, improving processes, and enhancing quality. Today, leaders must also be creative and find totally new ways to operate. To keep up with the competition, you must be able to innovate new practices and encourage your team members to take smart risks.
The business environment is more volatile and complex than ever before. There are new technologies, new customers, and changing regulations that will affect your business one way or another. Part of your strategic-planning process should be determining the new capabilities that your team will need to succeed in the future.
CMOE has worked with leaders across the globe to help them write and execute strategic plans to ensure their future success. When you formulate a strategic plan, you specifically define how you will shape the future and what path your team will take. This includes identifying the game-changing initiatives and priorities that will ensure your success. Once you have a well-defined strategy, you can guide your team into new, creative, innovative options that will add value for the business.
Learn More
Executing a strategy requires perseverance and excellent communication skills. Leaders must have the ability to overcome resistance and navigate barriers. Using a variety of coaching skills, strategic planning, and training resources, CMOE helps leaders stay on course and execute their strategies successfully.
Contact CMOE to learn more about how we can help your leadership team create and execute a strategic plan that will ensure your organization’s success.
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