10 Principles of Strategic Leadership

Strategy is a word that is usually associated with leaders or top management. It is not just an activity to undertake, it is also a quality to have. As a leader, one can choose to be strategic or tactical. What principles set you can learn in a strategic leadership program in that case?

1.            Vision – The organization’s vision is always strong and clearly communicated by a strategic leader.

2.            Agility – Strategic leadership is based on the idea that there is a high degree of flexibility within the individual, and he or she can change quickly as per the organization’s needs.

3.            Influence – A strategic leader demonstrates influence through his or her actions and words. This influence goes beyond the regular circle, to those who are not directly working with him/her, as well.

4.            Perseverance – In order to be influential, there has to be committed effort which remains consistent despite challenges. Perseverance is an integral element of strategic leadership.

5.            Accountability – As a strategic leader, you look at the long-term gains and take accountability for that falls within your purview. Keeping the strategic goals in mind means not shifting the blame onto others.

6.            Honesty – Strategic leadership comprises of honesty and transparency. It ensures that there the requirements based on business goals, are always clearly shared with the team members.

7.            Delegation – A strategic leader knows that his or her time is precious and needed for bigger decisions. So they know how and what to delegate, to various team members, so that work gets done as required.

8.            Inclusion – In our current work, strategic leadership means understanding the diversified workforce, needs of a younger and multi-cultural employee base and ensuring inclusion. This is what makes this kind of leadership style unique.

9.            Learnability – Strategic leaders are always learning. They learn from each other, the world around them,  the subordinates, the clients and so on. Their scale and interest in terms of learning, is high. That enables them to keep thinking strategically and applying the correct actions.

10.   Leadership Development – When a leader thinks and acts strategically, he or she knows that the leadership pipeline is crucial. So they focus on developing leaders in their own teams or networks, at all levels, constantly.

As we know, leadership and strategic management go hand in hand. Combining the two in a seamless manner is what an effective leader will do. Strategic leadership is entirely about that balance.