Professional Development
Leadership strategy: the crucial ingredient for sweet success

An organization’s leadership plays a critical role in navigating unprecedented shifts. Despite this, many well-known organizations struggle to adapt to change, effectively implement strategies, or prepare for an uncertain future.
While the importance of a clear business strategy is widely recognized, the type of leadership required to execute strategies that demand organizational adjustments is often overlooked. Without effective leadership, even the most innovative strategies will flounder, failing to reach their full potential.
What is a Leadership Strategy?
The concept of a leadership strategy stems from understanding the essence of ‘leadership’ itself. The Center for Creative Leadership, with over forty years of leadership research, emphasizes that leadership is not confined to those in top positions but extends beyond.
An organization’s success hinges not solely on a single exceptional leader or a robust chain of command. While these elements are crucial, they alone cannot guarantee success. The culture of leadership, shaped by both formal and informal leaders collaborating to influence the organization’s trajectory, is what truly drives success.
Effective leadership is not solely about the number or quality of leaders but about how they work together to advance organizational goals. This interconnected, boundaryless, and cohesive leadership approach underscores the importance of relationships in achieving organizational success.
When discussing leadership within an organization, considerations must encompass:
-
- The number of leaders based on formal positions and expected roles.
-
- The desired characteristics in the selection process.
-
- The competencies and behaviors essential for executing the business strategy.
-
- The collaborative leadership skills required to tackle challenges, drive innovation, and adapt to change.
-
- The desired leadership culture that fosters collaboration, employee empowerment, and accountability.
While existing research predominantly focuses on formal leadership structures, overlooking connected leadership and leadership culture neglects crucial elements that determine strategy implementation within organizations.
A well-crafted leadership strategy must encompass all these dimensions. Mere placement of leaders in organizational charts is insufficient; what truly matters is their actions and connections.
Developing a Leadership Strategy
A robust leadership strategy should align with the business strategy and address the following aspects:
I. Quantity Leaders: Determine the number required over the next 5-10 years, considering growth and turnover projections.
-
- When
-
- Where
-
- At what level
II. Qualities: Identify the essential qualities for individual leaders and the leadership cadre, including:
-
- Demographics, internal promotions, and targeted diversity.
III. Skills/Behavior: Define the specific skills, behaviors, and knowledge leaders need to execute the business strategy effectively.
-
- Generic and role-specific behavioral competencies.
IV. Collective Capabilities: Highlight the collaborative capabilities leaders must possess, such as:
-
- Providing direction, finding solutions, and fostering innovation.
V. Culture of Leadership: Emphasize the leadership culture’s critical components, including:
-
- Degree of interdependence among leaders and emphasized values.
The Cost of Implementing Your Company’s Leadership Strategy
While there’s no one-size-fits-all formula for translating a leadership plan into budgetary and temporal requirements, a well-developed strategy can justify such investments by aligning with the organizational strategy.
Developing a leadership strategy is an iterative process that involves ongoing collaboration and reporting to an oversight committee. It sparks essential discussions and interventions that can reshape beliefs and attitudes regarding executive talent within the organization. Crafting a strategy requires a blend of creativity and logic, encompassing both quantitative leadership needs and the creation of a desired leadership culture.
Conclusion
A leadership strategy serves as the linchpin for executing an organization’s business plan. Without adept leadership, strategic initiatives remain dormant on paper. Identifying and nurturing the right leaders to drive business strategies demand meticulous planning and substantial investments.

-
Professional Development2 months ago
Drawing up your strategy
-
Personal Growth2 months ago
Succeeding as a ‘parentpreneur’: Top tips
-
Videos2 months ago
Great Leaders INSPIRE Others To Do Great Things
-
Productivity2 months ago
How to Increase Remote Work Productivity
-
Productivity2 months ago
Tips for Boosting Work Productivity
-
Productivity2 months ago
5 Ways to Increase Your Personal Assistant’s Productivity
-
Leadership2 months ago
How to Tackle Big Challenges
-
Leadership3 weeks ago
How to Deliver Negative Feedback