Blog | Brainzooming

What Is Strategic Thinking in Leadership?

Written by Mike Brown | Jan 15, 2019 10:50:20 AM

Strategic thinking in leadership is a huge topic. Yet, one fun Brainzooming client asked us to distill a complete learning experience that would bolster its newly formed leadership team's strategic thinking into a half-day Idea Magnets workshop on strategic thinking in leadership.

The challenge? We could deliver THREE days of Idea Magnets-based content about strategic thinking in leadership!

As a resource for them (and for you), here is a mega-compilation post on strategic thinking in leadership.

Strategic Thinking in Leadership

From our perspective, strategy and strategic thinking are different.

In the Brainzooming world, strategic thinking is addressing what matters with insight and innovation. Its goal is to create a willingness to address challenging issues and to inspire people to use their imaginations as they envision many possibilities, turning the best ones into realities.

While setting strategy may be the responsibility of senior management, we FIRMLY believe and readily share an important idea: strategic thinking and leadership need to happen throughout any organization.

Here’s how we contrast these two important business functions.

Strategy involves:

  • Setting the organizational direction
  • A subset of people with responsibility for determining it
  • Specific time windows where it is reviewed and determined

Strategic Thinking & Leadership involves:

  • Shaping & implementing the strategic direction
  • Engaging everyone in the organization to participate
  • Daily attention and focus

What Is Strategic Thinking in Leadership?

Strategic thinking in leadership incorporates seven elements:

  1. Focusing on what matters
  2. Uncovering and leveraging robust insights
  3. Continually identifying innovation opportunities
  4. Timely and sound decision making
  5. Engaging employees 
  6. Anticipating change
  7. Delivering consistent performance

Emerging from that definition of strategic thinking in leadership, these 43 Brainzooming articles expand how to strengthen your capabilities in this vital area:

Strategic Thinking

Strategic Thinking Focuses on What Matters

Strategic Thinking Depends on Insights

Strategic Thinking Leads to Innovation

Leading Strategically

Quick Decision Making

Engaging Employees

Anticipating Forward-Looking Change

Delivering Consistent Performance

We conclude the workshop with an important idea: ultimately, all you can control is the integrity of your effort. That, in many ways, is your one job. Everything else springs from this. – Mike Brown

 

Engage Stakeholders & Improve Results

FREE Download: "Results!!! Creating Strategic Impact"

Leaders need high-impact ways to develop employees that can provide input into strategy and then turn it into results. This Brainzooming mini-book, "Results - Creating Strategic Impact" unveils ten proven lessons leaders can use to boost collaboration, meaningful strategic conversations, and results.

Download this free, action-focused mini-book to:

  • Learn smart ways to separate strategic opportunities from the daily noise of business
  • Increase focus for your team with productive strategy questions everyone can use
  • Actively engage stakeholders in strategy AND implementation success

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