How do you plan and execute your leadership strategy?

The first thing is to understand the company culture , the existing culture in team , the strength and weaknesses of my team. Company culture understanding will come from reviewing the company's vision and mission. Discussion with the higher management is necessary to understand the expectations. Individual one on one is important to understand Individual team members and their strengths / weakness. Finally , a team workshop discussing how the team understand the culture , the vision and the expectations might be useful.

Leadership is situational where the most crucial part to start with is self awareness. Knowing yourself is as much as important as knowing the people & the culture. I am a strong believer that leadership is an action, not a position. Another critical step is to listen, feel and act through providing your team wirh the ownership of what's next. One to one or one to many can always support in better understanding individuals & groups - I always admire three questions: -What do you Like? -What is your Concern? -What do you Suggest? The answers to those can definetly reveal a big part of what you need as a leader to define or do now for next ..

I believe that being a leader requires many skills but one of the most important is how to be able to transition from being responsible for the job to being responsible for the people behind the job, how u can see your success through them. One other important thing that I believe in, is the team inclusion in the decision making, people needs to feel involved and needs to feel valued for their opinion not just for what they do.

One thing I've found helpful is understanding that self-reflection is key for personal and leadership growth. When I embarked on my leadership journey, here are some questions that I asked myself: 1- What are my core values and strengths as a leader? 2- What impact am I making in my current role? 3- Where do I see opportunities for improvement? 4- What kind of leader do I aspire to become? 5- How do I plan to develop and reach my leadership goals? 6- How do I handle adversity as a leader? 7- How well am I fostering a culture of growth and collaboration within my team?

Before asserting myself as a leader, I take time to deeply understand the organisation or team culture, including its underlying assumptions, beliefs, and behaviours. This understanding provides insight into how past experiences shape the present and influence reactions to new challenges. I aim to create an environment of empathy and psychological safety. This encourages open dialogues where team members feel comfortable expressing their concerns and fears related to change I may wish to implement. I cultivate trust within the team through quick wins. Trust in leadership is crucial for fostering an environment where I can apply my strategy well.

I am a firm beleiver that the vision and mission shouldn't be set top down but developed bottom up with the team after alligning with them on the understanding of the company / higher managment vision and expectations. By doing so the team will vision , mission and plan will be fully owned by the team and not only the leader

People talk about Strategic Planning as one thing - but they aren't. It's two things. 1) Strategy and 2) Planning It starts with re-visiting the company's Vivid Vision? at the annual or quarterly planning meeting. 1) Everyone re-reads the Vivid Vision document- to anchor themselves in the future. 2) Leadership team comments on the core goals for the company: eNPS, cNPS, Profit, Revenue & Strategic. 3) Then the leadership team talks about the different ways they can get to those goals- i.e. Strategically what they can do. And they consider all core items of their SWOT analysis to assist in strategic thinking. 4) Once they have finalized the goals and strategy - then they can start putting the plans & core projects in place to hit them.

I would also suggest that as humans, not just as leader, we carry blindspots - ways of being that are detrimental to our leadership potential but that we are blind to. Inviting 360-degree feedback is a good way of asking the team, 'What is it like to be on the receiving end of my leadership?' Anonymising this or nominating a team member to process the feedback anonymously can encourage openness.

For a front line leader I am a believer that the focus shouldn't be on your goals, rather, it should be on that of your teams' individual goals. If you shift your focus from yourself and simply work on creating a culture of excellence through way of ensuring each member of your team reaches their goals you will not only have a performance that's sustainable but also an employee attrition rate that will rival the best in your organization.

Envision the future version of yourself as a leader! What qualities, behaviours, and accomplishments do you see? The vision will help you set specific goals and chart a path toward becoming the leader you aspire to be.

The Action Plan shall cover 4 critical roles that a leader should be doing: 1- The Visionary: Shape the emergence of a clear & compelling vision that engages everyone & resonates with people. 2- The Architect: Design for an open & empowered system, able to continually plan, execute, adjust and evolve in pursuit of its vision. 3- The Catalyst: Help in removing all roadblocks that prevent the team from bringing their best to reality. Speed play an integral role here. 4- The Coach: Commit to an ongoing personal & professional development, encouraging for a wide range of formal & informal capability building programs & initiatives that can enable the team to better perform & develop. Sometimes it is better to ask more than telling.

Outline a concrete plan for achieving your leadership aspirations. This could involve seeking mentorship, taking relevant courses, attending leadership workshops, practicing new skills, and seeking out challenging opportunities to gain experience.

We should start from the mission statement and develop a plan which is divide to short ( first 100 days) , intermediate ( 1 year ) and long term ( 3 years) . All actions need to have a link to the mission statment. All actions identified need to be achievable and you have an idea on how you will provide the resources .

No actions, no results. This is an essential part of a successful strategy implementation. Building an action plan helps leaders remain focused on what matters most.

From my experience, its improtent to take the team along on the journey, even of your own development. What do you recognise that you could've done better? Have you owned this with your team and demonstrated learning? Recently, we have begun yet another transformational change into a new marketplace to us. Over the years, I, and the leadership team, have undertaken training and qualifications which mean we can lead the organisation into this new market being fully qualified and accredited. However, the team had no idea of our qualifications and were wary of venturing into a field so heavily regulated. So, by sharing not just personal developments but also professional ones, we can keep the trust of the team, and build on it.

Set a foundation of trust. As organizations evolve, communication is the most imperative way to retain trust. Trust is crucial to grow and survive. All companies undergo continuous changes, but how they handle them can excel their business or lead to their downfall. Below are some recommendations to build and retain trust. Set a schedule of a communication plan that people can rely on. Always communicate changes. Create a culture of constructive feedback both ways. Communicate they are part of something bigger. Trust is essential, and when it is broken, it ‘s not easy to restore. Having a continuing communication plan shows respect and value to the people who make the company. Without the people, no company can survive.

Sharing the vision with your internal and external stakeholders is crucial to hold your self accountable for the execution of this vision

Evaluation of the strategy on regular basis to adjust course on the execution plan. A revision of the vision every 3 years is necessary as the environment and expecting changes in this rapidly evolving world

Execution is many times the hardest and loneliest part of being in a leadership position. Everyone on the team contributes and works hard on various tasks, but when it falls on a leader to take all that and turn it into results, it requires: 1. Resilience: there may be a temptation to stop but that isn’t an option. 2. Adapt to change: yesterday’s strategy may not apply to today. 3. Final call: others can help you and give input but it’s on you to make it happen. It may be lonely but we aren’t alone, and it may be challenging but it’s not impossible. Good luck out there!

Being a strategic leader involves have clear plan of execution of strategy and proper communication of your mission, vision and objectives to your stakeholders. It also means you must be charismatic and have a positive mindset, with growth as your watch-word.

As a priority, I ensure my organization understands my leadership philosophy that informs the mission and vision—the 5F's. Family: Like a tree's roots, family provides strength and grounding. In teams, we emulate family ties, fostering unity and belonging. Faith: An unwavering belief in our mission and team lights our path. It lends resilience in challenges and humility in successes. Fitness: Vitality in body and mind equips us for hurdles ahead. Prioritizing well-being ensures our teams thrive amid rigor. Focus: Laser-focused goals lead the way. This clarity drives purposeful, result-oriented actions. Fun: Leadership's journey, while intense, must be joy-filled. Shared laughter and celebrations energize and unite us.

Remember that leadership growth is a journey, and regular self-assessment and adjustment of your goals are crucial for staying on track and adapting to evolving circumstances