How can you maximize your strengths as a strategic leader?

By acknowledging your weaknesses...in front of your team. Tell them what you need to work on to be a better leader, and then show them that you are doing it.

There are several ways to maximize your strengths as a strategic leader. Here are some key strategies: 1. Understand your strengths: Conduct a self-assessment 2. Focus on your strengths: Once you have identified your strengths, it is important to prioritize and leverage them. 3. Develop and refine your skills: Continuous learning and skill development 4. Build a high-performing team: Surround yourself with individuals who complement your strengths and can compensate for your weaknesses. 5. Seek feedback and learn from others 6. Develop a strategic mindset 7. Delegate effectively 8. Build relationships and networks 9. Stay adaptable and agile 10. Lead by example

In my experience it is prudent for leaders to ask questions, then open your ears to actively listen without fear of anticipating an answer during the conversation, as our subordinates, who actually perform daily activities, know the tasks and have progressed through the learning curve to understand the true nature of the processes they endure...or at least as much as their experience allows. Then - draw back and reflect on the discussion to compare take aways and potential lessons learned with existing policies and procedures before considering optimization strategies towards change management techniques. As leaders we must not be the expert in every case as keeping an open mind wields many new skills.

While there is nothing inherently wrong with the standard answers about self-reflection, SWOT analysis, and the myriad of tools to help you decide your leadership style - transactional, transformational, charismatic, servant. Path-Goal etc., etc., - at the end of the day, you aren't a strategic leader unless you can execute on the organizational mission. Biggest issue leaders face? Execution. Biggest hurdles leaders face? Day-to-day communications mis-steps, limits on their ability to be transparent, a lack of understanding of informal and social networks in an organization to influence desired change. Strategic leadership is as about managing and building relationships as it is about setting a vision and articulating the mission.

By surrounding yourself with a diverse team of individuals who think differently, look differently and behave differently. Ten people who think homogeneously will come up with 10 unique ideas -- ten people who diverge in thought will come up with 100 unique ideas.

For strategic leaders to maximise their potential, a deep emphasis on self-awareness and self-evaluation is essential. Recognising one's natural talents and inclinations is foundational, but it's equally important to actively apply core competencies, such as foresight and analytical thinking, in their roles. Effective leaders not only understand strategy but also implement it, ensuring their contributions benefit the wider organisation. To maintain objectivity and gain broader insights, using external evaluation tools like feedback and surveys is key, allowing leaders to align their personal strengths with organisational goals and gauge perceptions from various stakeholders.

One thing, you should always rely on is to embrace Innovation. Cultivate an openness to innovation. Encourage your team to propose creative solutions and explore new approaches. A strategic leader is open to adopting new technologies, processes, and ideas that can drive organizational growth and excellence. Besides these outcomes, your perspective will be broadened.

A good leader needs to have a deep knowledge of itself. It's important to recognize and embrace your strenghts - that's the easy part - but also your weaknesses, in order to understand how will you compensate them. You must not forget to improve your skills - keep learning, keep being curious, keep understanding how the job is done - and you should delegate in others what you do not do best. Do not be afraid of surrounding yourself with people that is better than you: your mission is to lead them into great achievements, not be the one who knows everything (no one can do it succefully ;)

Ensure that you mitigate your weaknesses by having people around you who have your weaknesses as their strengths. And then trust them to use their strengths. Sports team analogies are over-used but I think very relevant for this topic. Be really good at what your meant to be good at and allow others to do the same.

Working in cross-cultural teams help in driving strategic success. Seek and create an environment where different perspectives are valued, leading to comprehensive and adaptable strategies. Along with this carry a results-driven approach, which is pivotal for a strategic leader to maximize the strengths.