You can think strategically and plan your work beautifully, but if you can't bring others along, your impact will always be limited.
Check out this final article in the series for three practical leadership principles and a stakeholder mapping tool to help you lead more strategically. See how Claire, Rob, Quinn and Gene—the four fictional leaders from my leadership novella—navigate their very different working styles when forced to collaborate on a high-stakes project.
Sick of generic productivity advice that doesn't stick?
Check out this article for a practical framework and four sample techniques to help you protect your time and manage your energy, as part of working more strategically. And follow Gene the Chaotic Genius—a fictional leader from my leadership novella—as he tries to tame his own chaos.
Ready to get clear on why your role exists, what you want to achieve and where to focus your energy, to work more strategically?
Check out this article for a practical three-step strategic focus planning exercise and follow Quinn the Quiet Achiever—a fictional leader from my leadership novella—as she steps into some well-overdue discomfort.
Being strategic comes down to three things: being proactive, focusing on what matters and seeing the bigger picture.
Check out this article for a practical breakdown of each dimension. And meet Rob the Rebel—a fictional leader from my leadership novella—who is learning that fighting the system isn't quite the same as changing it.
Looking to build or refresh your strategic skills?
Check out this article for a pep talk on what strategic thinking actually looks like and the four common myths that might be holding you back. It’s also an introduction to Claire the Control Freak, the first of four fictional leaders from my leadership novella who are all on their way to being more strategic (and less annoying to themselves and others).
Are you a fellow mid-lifer with more ideas than the energy needed to follow through on them? Do you get stuck trying to figure out what to focus your limited resources on?
If this is you, check out this post for some tips on how to chip away at your legacy-building projects without overwhelming yourself.
Being proactive as a middle manager can be challenging. You are trying to keep your boss happy and your team engaged, with limited authority to make significant improvements. However, there are some simple ways you can take control of your role and career.
Check out this article for tips on how to get out of your perpetual survival mode and the five questions you can ask yourself to become (a bit more) more proactive.
As you progress through the ranks, there is generally more uncertainty to deal with.
This is not an easy thing to embrace, especially if your success is largely based on your technical expertise, attention to detail or general preparedness.
Check out this post for some (less scary) ways to become more comfortable with discomfort, as you are working towards strategic leadership.
Strategic leaders need to think longer term to set the strategic direction of their organisation. But that’s easier said than done when you’ve only ever implemented short-term plans.
Check out this post for ways you can expand your thinking beyond the one-year horizon and be braver in your planning processes.
Strategic skills are not some elusive quality reserved for top executives. I believe that they can be learned – it just takes a bit of practice.
Check out this post for ideas on how you can start by broadening your thinking beyond your own team, even if you’ve only ever worked in one area of your organisation.
