Being Strategic: It's Not Magic

Why aren't my people more strategic?

If you’ve ever heard, asked, or simply thought this question, then you’ve felt the impact of strategic thinking that’s out of sync with what’s happening on the ground.

You are not alone.

In fact, a recent New York Times article explored an “unconventional approach to professional development”. Former CEO Murray Rogers now provides psilocybin (yep: that’s the ingredient in “magic” mushrooms) trips to business leaders seeking a new mindset - literally.?

Reading the article, I was struck by the lengths to which these executives went to expand their thinking, spark creativity and ultimately, drive innovation. Their thirst propelled participants to choose an approach many would call dramatic or radical. Psychedelic drugs are termed mind-altering for a reason.?(The article discusses the history, legal, medical, and mental health aspects of using psychedelic drugs.)

Both creativity and innovation benefit from a specific mindset

The executives I advise share this passion for enhanced creativity and innovation for themselves and their teams. They also see the deep connection between creativity, innovation, and strategy. Further, they understand that both creativity and innovation benefit from a specific mindset or habit of mind. Interestingly, while innovation requires creativity, you can be creative without innovation.

Moreover, some of the very same leadership behaviors that provoke creativity and inspire innovation also build strategic agility.

Strategy is integral to success

Strategy is the set of decisions and actions that get you where you want to go.[1] Typical strategy sessions focus on setting direction, agreeing priorities, and identifying the critical path to achieve the objectives. Leaders highlight key risks and mitigation steps, and important milestones or metrics that indicate progress – or not. This is all good. Because shared understanding and pursuit of strategy is integral to success.

Even a well-defined strategy can fall apart

Of course, understanding the strategy and the critical few priorities is just the start. The priorities guide decisions and actions that determine how the team will operate to achieve the objectives. In other words:?execution matters too.

Together, strategy and operations help you do what you set out to do. To reach the vision, both strategy and operations must be aligned and put into action. And it’s not easy. A search of “strategy execution” yields +400k hits, led by insights and pricey executive programs found at the world’s top business schools.

Managing your business is rarely split cleanly between strategy and operations; they are intimately linked. Further, no business operates in a vacuum. What happens outside the business affects the impact of the decisions and actions taken inside the business. The executives I advise know that finding the right balance between strategy and operations requires agility. Without the ability to adapt to an ever-changing environment, even a well-defined strategy can fall apart.

Strategic agility can be developed

Fortunately, with deliberate attention, strategic agility can be developed. (Check out my tips for building strategic agility here.) Furthermore, keeping strategy on track also benefits from having people who understand how to bring creativity and innovation to the forefront of strategy and the hard work of execution. And as I said earlier, many of the same skills that enhance innovation also fuel the agility needed to navigate the strategy journey.

Working with executives, I often incorporate arts-based experiential learning to unlock the power of creativity and innovation. Executives strengthen their capacity to think and act strategically – to be more strategic.

Innovation mindset takes time and effort

Breakthroughs or insights can feel sudden or magical. Yet in my experience, cultivating an innovation mindset happens through intentional, consistent action. It relies on specific capabilities that can be developed and strengthened.?Like innovation itself (which requires iteration), an innovation mindset takes time and effort.

Skilled leaders systematically enable strategic agility. They establish the underlying structures and environment that encourage innovation. They adopt and practice the behaviors and capabilities that drive mindset, culture, and connection to strategy.

Executives who embrace an innovation mindset and cultivate the skills that enable strategic agility accelerate individual and organizational performance. They achieve objectives faster, more creatively, and with greater buy-in for acceptance.

Want your team to be more strategic? Contact me to discuss my unique executive experience: Activating Innovation to Accelerate Performance?. No mushrooms required.

[1] Tara Rethore. Charting the Course: CEO Tools to Align Strategy & Operations. 2021. Page 14.

Executives engage me to more rapidly achieve their goals. Would you like to learn more? Contact me.

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?2024 Tara J Rethore.?All rights reserved.?Permission granted to excerpt or reprint with attribution.