Lesson 3.6 | The Strategic Executor™
TRANSCRIPT
The fourth superpower is being a Strategic Executor. The tension between strategy and execution (strategy and operations) has existed for a long time. I cannot tell you how many times over my 30 years of consulting experience, I have heard things like:
- “We are very operationally focused; we do not have time for strategy.”
- “We’re busy fighting fires/addressing urgent issues. When it calms, we’ll focus on strategy.”
- “Yes, our leadership team understands our strategy and is aligned to support it.”
- “We have communicated our strategy; everyone understands its meaning and what to do.”
The thing is, most often, these are excuses for not linking strategy and execution. Because if all you have is a strategy, and you can’t execute it, it's just a dream. It's in your head. And if you're only focused on execution but don't have a strategy, you're really busy, but you're not necessarily going anywhere. You need to have both.
What are the key behavioral traits of Strategic Executors:
1. They understand that strategy and execution are inextricably linked. To ensure this, the strategy must be translated into operational and actionable terms. People need to know what to do. They need to understand clearly what the strategy means they will do and won’t do. Only when that linkage is tight can value be created. If they over-focus too much on strategy or too much on execution. for any length of time, they may be increasing their risk, which is not something they want to do.
2. When addressing operational issues, strategic executors stay focused on achieving strategic objectives. They recognize that strategy informs operations, and at the same time, operational performance informs strategy.
3. They recognize that short-term decisions today can have long-term implications. They need to be careful not to do something too quickly without thinking about the long term, as they don't want to impair long-term performance. They make sure they consider these implications and make informed decisions.
4. They incorporate the context and the environment they are in. They recognize they have to flex and adapt to ensure relevance and future success. They recognize that decisions can’t be made in a vacuum.
Like with the Superpowers before, this is an ongoing, dynamic process. No longer can strategy be looked at annually, it needs to be looked at and considered continuously.