Skills Every Strategic Leader Needs

Skills Every Strategic Leader Needs

Leaders can be found at every level of every organization. At the lower levels, leaders deal primarily with the operations of production. Their actions are limited in scope and conform to the procedures outlined by leaders at the middle levels. In contrast, the higher up leader is primarily concerned with strategy and the direction of the organization and the context in which it operates.

At the upper levels, lateral relationships must be nurtured and decisions made based on analysis of changing needs. Little certainty exists at this level of operation, and not everyone is able to handle the abstraction of planning for a future that doesn’t yet exist. Do you have the skills it takes?

Anticipation and Reaction

Leaders must be prepared to re-frame any crisis as an opportunity. Whatever the source of the crisis, responsiveness and hands-on action are essential to gaining the support of stakeholders. However, an immediate crisis is far less common than threats that build slowly.

An anticipatory mindset helps leaders identify looming threats and respond to them before they materialize. For instance, what would you do as the leader of Lego in the late 1990s? Top executives at this company missed out on the initial boom in robotic toys but eventually adjusted their strategy. Another example comes from the U.S. Army that only changed focus from heavy to light divisions after years of fighting a decentralized enemy in Afghanistan. Hindsight is easy, but successful leaders need foresight.

Interpersonal Skills

How is a leader expected to predict the future? Most leaders are not technical experts or considered anywhere near a genius on the I.Q. test. They do have the ability to build long-term relationships based on reasonable arguments. They are also great at motivating stakeholders to embrace the organization’s mission.

Leaders cultivate relationships with key stakeholders, suppliers and downstream vendors. They listen closely to the challenges faced by these people and their concerns about the future. In other words, a strategic leader brings together information from multiple sources and analyzes it for opportunities.

Initiation

At lower levels, leaders have a small amount of latitude in their implementation of directives. They have a starting place and even markers to measure success. Strategic leaders lack these things. In fact, they are the source of these things.

A strategic leader views different courses of action and weighs them against the short-term and long-term benefits of other potential actions. Every organization has limited resources, and it is part of the leader’s responsibility to allocate these resources in a manner that best benefits the organization’s mission.

Taking the initiative is important for every aspect of leadership, whether it is communication to stakeholders during a crisis, forging relationships or implementing new projects. In a large organization, the details are primarily handled by subordinates, but small business leaders often handle both the initiation of projects and follow-through actions.

Strategic leadership is generally more hands-off and abstract. Individuals in these positions are skilled at recognizing and cultivating talent in others, and they willingly delegate responsibilities to capable individuals. Most of these skills cannot be taught except through experience. Reflection and optimism are the traits that best serve leaders.

Kelly Smith is an avid education blogger. If you enjoy leadership and think you may want to pursue strategic leadership as a career, you may want to look into programs that offer degrees in strategic management, including New England College and University of Connecticut.

By: Juvie Indiola