Behavioural capabilities and traits of high performing boards. Part 1: Strategic Thinking

This month we welcome you to the first in a series of four articles in which we explore the distinctive leadership behaviour types which impact on a board’s effectiveness. Part one examines strategic thinking. Good leaders and therefore boards think strategically, involve, and inspire their followers and measure their performance. Easily said but harder to define in behavioural terms.

What do we mean by ‘thinking strategically'?

Fundamentally it is about making decisions. If we do it well, we will reach a good decision. The evidence suggests we are not good at it. A Mckinsey survey in 2010 of 2,207 executives, (dated I concede but I doubt much has changed since), revealed only 28 percent said that the quality of strategic decisions in their companies was generally good, 60 percent thought that bad decisions were about as frequent as good ones, and the remaining 12 percent thought good decisions were altogether infrequent. Not very comforting.

What underlies this? Is it about the pressures to move on, make a decision about the item under discussion and the consequent tendency to focus attention on the substance matter of any decision rather than spend any time examining the process by which we reach that decision? Do Boards focus too much on the ‘What’ to the detriment of thinking about the ‘How’?

If that is the case, what may be the consequences of an absence of process? Might it impact on the quality and breadth of information available to a Board and therefore on the quality of the decision upon which is based? Rich and broadly based information is surely the foundation of any high quality debate and its outcome. Read the full article here

Further reading:

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Harvard Researchers say 'follow the rule of 3 questions to be more likeable'. Through questioning behaviour, we show our willingness to validate the other person's perspective and behaviour, demonstrating a high level of responsiveness in discovering and exploring relevant issues for the relationship. Read the article