One of the things I’m hearing a lot from leaders is how much things have changed. We’re never going back to pre-pandemic ‘normal’. We’re in brave new territory.
It’s intimidating.
And exhilarating!
So much opportunity! (along with all that threat).
Most of the same leaders also acknowledge, somewhat sheepishly, they don’t do enough strategic thinking.
In a 2004 Harvard Business Review article, Michael Mankins said, “80% of top management’s time is devoted to issues that account for less than 20% of a company’s long-term value.
Here’s how to create more time for strategic thinking:
Delegate more.
This old chestnut is one that many leaders, experienced and new, still struggle with.
It’s about control, it’s about trust.
Mostly it’s about not having the right mindset.
Delegation is the act of building capability in others. It’s a coaching process before it’s a get-it-off-my-plate experience.
Don’t deny others’ development by holding on to things they could benefit from learning.
2. Change scenery.
Booking time out of the office in a new location is helpful for two reasons:
It interrupts your default patterns of work that have worn strong grooves in your work habits.
It provides fresh input to your brain. Strategic thinking is as much as connecting the dots as it is about creating something new.
You’ll feel compelled to be productive and use your time wisely because you are away from your desk.
3. Build capability.
Many leaders mistakenly feel that the vision belongs with the CEO. Therefore all the strategic thinking should sit with them too. Not so!
The world is far too complex for strategy to rest with just one person.
Who needs that kind of pressure?
Build strategic thinking capability in your team members and you can leverage collective insights for better decisions.
Your team meetings can move beyond business as usual and operational concerns to true strategic foresight.
Want to go deeper on this topic?
Join us for a complimentary webinar May 4th, or in person in Canberra May 5th
About Zoë Routh
Zoë Routh is a leadership futurist, podcaster, and multiple award-winning author. She works with leaders and teams to navigate future horizons.
She has worked with individuals and teams internationally and in Australia since 1987. From wild Canadian rivers to the Australian Outback, and the Boardroom jungles, Zoë is an adventurist! She facilitates strategy and culture sessions with audacious teams.
Zoë's fourth leadership book, People Stuff - Beyond Personality Problems: An advanced handbook for leadership, won the Book of the Year at the Australian Business Book Awards in 2020. Her fifth book is a near future science fiction dystopian novel, The Olympus Project.
Zoë is the producer of the Zoë Routh Leadership Podcast, dedicated to asking “What if…?” and sharing Big Ideas on the Future of Leadership.
Zoë is an outdoor adventurist and enjoys telemark skiing, has run six marathons, is a one-time belly-dancer, has survived cancer, and loves hiking in the high country. She is married to a gorgeous Aussie and is a self-confessed dark chocolate addict.
www.zoerouth.com