How can “being strategic” be applied to the workplace relationships leaders must create or sustain?
Excellent, authentic relationships are essential if leaders are to be truly strategic. Even if a leader is skilled at both strategic thought and action, he or she needs to be operating within a web of strong relationships in order for that capability to have an impact organization-wide. Here’s why: I’ve often seen truly brilliant leaders who have a clear strategic view of their organization and a well-defined strategic plan for getting the future they envision – but who lack strong relationships, especially with those who work directly for him or her. Those organizations tend to do less well than you’d expect: the leaders’ vision and strategy don’t “translate” into the day-to-day, because the rest of the organization doesn’t understand or own it, and therefore isn’t committed to making it happen. The process of being strategic, as we practice, facilitate and teach it in organizations, is essentially collaborative. It works best when you work together as a team to define the challenge,
