Shifting Gears: How to Successfully Move Into a
Strategic Role
Making the move from an operational role to a strategic one may come
easy to some, but for most of us it takes hard work and a new
mindset.
If you're stepping into a strategic role, or are a manager considering
which candidate is best for a strategic job, the first thing to remember
is that strategic leadership is different from operational leadership.
"The skills that make you a successful operational leader can, in fact,
hold you back as a strategic leader," says CCL's Kate Beatty. "Meeting
short-term targets, mastering your functional area and creating
stability for focused execution are some of the skills of strong
operational leaders."
"Strategic leaders must make decisions that position the business for
the future, while meeting current demands," Beatty continues. "They
focus on multiple facets of the business instead of ensuring success in
a single area. And, typically, strategic leaders are involved in creating
significant organizational change."
Beatty, co-author of Becoming A Strategic Leader, says that strategic
leadership occurs when individuals and teams think, act and influence
others in ways that promote the enduring success of the organization.
Strategic thinking begins with understanding the complex
relationship between the organization and its environment. Using that
knowledge, leaders can then make decisions that facilitate the
organization's enduring success.
But how does one develop strategic thinking skills? One way is to ask
strategic questions to better understand a challenge. On your own or
in a group, consider:
What external or industry data is important in my analysis of the
challenge and in assessing my response to the challenge?
Why is it important to be successful in this challenge? How will
success help the organization maintain and enhance its
sustainability in the industry?
How does this challenge (and my solution and approach) relate to
issues and challenges elsewhere in the organization?
Who are the key stakeholders? What data do they have (opinions,
needs, experiences, perspectives, etc.) that are relevant to the
challenge and to my response? How can I ensure that this data is
considered in our thinking about this challenge?
In what ways are my own experiences and biases limiting my view of
the situation?
What factor, if acted on, would create the greatest leverage on the
result? In other words, if I could only impact one factor to be
successful with this challenge, what would it be?
Strategic acting involves taking decisive action consistent with the
strategic direction of the organization - despite ambiguity, complexity
and chaos. To apply strategic acting skills to a challenge, consider the
following questions:
How is my response consistent with the overall direction of the
organization? Are there ways in which it is inconsistent with that
direction?
What, if anything, is keeping me from settling on a solution or
approach? How much more information do I need to feel
comfortable with a commitment?
What are the risks of this solution? What contingency plans can I put
in place?
Assuming implementation will not be perfect, what can I do to create
an environment where unexpected results are treated as
"learning opportunities" versus "failures"?
What might we learn from this solution if we implement it? What
data do I need to ensure that learning is occurring?
Strategic influencing is about building commitment to the
organization's strategic direction by inviting others into the strategic
process, forging relationships inside and outside the organization and
utilizing organizational culture and systems of influence. To apply
strategic influencing skills to a challenge, ask yourself:
What will it "look like" if I succeed? What is my vision?
What data (big picture, details, etc.) supports my position?
Who else needs to be on board to make this successful? How will this
solution/approach help (or hinder) achievement of their
goals/objectives?
If my solution/approach requires a change in people's behavior, are
there other organizational systems/processes/structures that
need to be in alignment to facilitate that change? What do I need
to do to create that alignment?
How willing am I to let my vision be shaped by others' visions?
Who might I solicit to help me champion my efforts? How can I get
them on board?
What political realities might impact my success in this challenge?
How might I navigate those realities without limiting my
credibility?
"Many more people in today's organizations need to be strategic
leaders," says Beatty. "The sooner organizations coach and develop
strategic leaders throughout their ranks, the better positioned they will
be to weather the changes ahead."
Recipe for Strategic Failure
If you struggle with strategic leadership, it is likely because of three
things:
Lack of focus: If you try to be all things to all people, you will fail to
make the tough decisions that provide a strategic focus.
Loose tactics: A strategic plan is only a plan; an organization's
actual strategies lie in the decisions and choices its members
make as they enact or fail to enact the plan.
Limited range: Leaders face tremendous pressure to make shortterm numbers, but without a broad view, they could jeopardize longterm viability.
This article is adapted from Becoming a Strategic Leader: Your Role in
Your Organization's Enduring Success by Richard L. Hughes and
Katherine Colarelli Beatty