How to be a strategic thinker

 
 
 

An impressive 97% of senior leaders think strategic thinking is the most important skill for a leader. Being strategic has been shown to be 10 times more important to the perception of effectiveness than any other key leadership behaviour.

What does strategic thinking really mean, and how much time do you make for it at work? If you ‘think strategically’ does that make you a strategic leader?

Strategic thinking is the creative analysis of many variables that can influence success and direction. A strategic thinker:

  • Has a longer-term view that takes in the wider system within which their role, team, organisation or industry exists.

  • Is able to zoom out from the detail and the immediate, to see patterns, trends, risks, issues and opportunities.

A strategic thinker will always be aware of market trends, emerging technologies, and competitive pressures, and be able to process how those elements influence business outcomes. Strategic thinkers love complexity and creativity and are able to operate well in uncertainty.

Strategic leaders

Yet thinking strategically is not enough to be an effective strategic leader. You also need to communicate your ideas, and influence others so that your thinking can have impact and drive change. This is your strategic vision - your call to action - from your analysis and creativity, that inspires and motivates people. A strategic leader can align people behind the vision and empowers them to work towards it.

A strategic plan

A strategic leader will also develop a business or team strategy, co-created with the team. This is the plan or approach to achieve a longer-term goal that creates value for the team, organisation, or shareholders.

Being a strategic leader is therefore multilayered and involves not just thinking strategically, but also acting strategically, developing a strategy, and crucially being able to influence and inspire others to support and implement strategic actions. Exceptional leaders are able to do all of these.

How can leaders make time to step away from operational tasks to do the thinking that will drive their career, team or organisation to the next level?

Practical tips for strategic thinking

Very simply, strategic thinking needs focused time. This can be planned time in your diary on your own to reflect, plan and consider.  

  • Crucially, strategic thinking does not have to happen in isolation, in fact, strategic thinkers are experts in consulting others, collaborative discussion and creative team meetings. Strategic thinking can happen with teams, colleagues, stakeholders, a coach, a mentor or clients.

  • Exceptional strategic leaders make strategic thinking a habit that they can bring in any situation or conversation to bring insight and innovation. They are the ones to ask the crucial question, or help the room see something in an entirely different way. Instead of asking ‘What do we need to do?’ They first ask  ‘How do we need to think about this?’

  • When reflecting on a decision, action or plan imagine you have a camera lens that you can zoom out in two ways. The first way is context: consider the context or the environment within which the action is happening, including the people involved and the competition. Then the second zoom out is time: think about future impact, changes, trends and past learnings.

Agile and innovative

Strategic leaders are expectational strategic thinkers and whilst they have a strategy, they are also mindful that strategies guide and provide vision, but they must not restrict and suffocate innovation or resilience, they should enhance both. Therefore, if the situation/environment/context changes, you must not be too welded to your original strategy that you cannot be agile and responsive to change. Strategic leaders perfect the balance of being planned and considered, whilst also being agile and innovative.

High performing strategic leaders make time for thinking, they have a plan, and they bring others with them. How can you make time for more strategic thinking in your role this week?

MARTIN BARNSLEY