Strategic leaders do things differently. Their success is no accident.
And it’s no coincidence when they’re ahead of the curve… but if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: strategic leadership is not just a trait, it’s a muscle. It’s something you can develop and grow over time.
And it’s not as complicated as we make it out to be!
Developing your strategic leadership muscle comes down to 3 things:
- A curious, self-aware and confident mindset
- Exec skills, like being insightful, exercising good judgement and communicating effectively
- A set of key daily habits
And all of these things work together. For example, having the right habits will increase your ability to demonstrate these executive skills.
In today’s newsletter, I’m going to break down the 10 habits of highly strategic leaders. If you start doing these 10 things, I promise you’ll see a difference!
Note: Early-bird registration is now open for the September cohort of Own Your Seat at the Table. If you want to master all of the elements of being a strategic leader (and set yourself up to be the no-brainer choice for a VP role), this program is for you!
In the meantime, let’s dive in….
Here are 10 Habits of Highly Strategic Leaders
1. They block out deep work time and prioritize it.
They know the value of strategic thinking time and protect it at all costs.
I don’t care how smart you are; no one is having a great strategic insight in the 5 minutes between Zoom meetings. If you want to have great, strategic ideas, you need to give yourself the time and space to let it happen. Period.
2. Their personal habits support their success.
They spend time on non-work activities that make them higher performers, like meditation and exercise.
The leaders at the top of their game recognize that pouring everything into work and neglecting rest or their health is a recipe for burnout. Not to mention the fact that these activities improve cognitive functioning and lower stress.
3. They build strong connections with peers and executives.
They don’t consider this office politics; they consider it an investment.
I learned this the hard way. For years, I was convinced that good ideas and hard work were all that mattered. Not the case. Building relationships with key stakeholders is strategic.
4. They aren’t afraid to create boundaries.
They know their value and have stopped people pleasing.
If you’re saying yes to everything, you’re saying no to things that matter, because it’s impossible to do it all. Get clear on what your priorities are, and then create the boundaries to match. You’ll be doing yourself and your company a favour.
5. They have mastered clear, concise and compelling communication.
They take the time to frame ideas well before sharing them.
I’ll admit that this one is tricky if you haven’t yet developed the skill. My program goes into detail on this. But once you understand the elements of effective communication, you need to create the habit of taking the time to frame your ideas well before sharing them. It makes all the difference!
6. They know how to slow down.
They aren’t running from meeting to meeting and frantically trying to keep up.
See #4. And #1. That’s all.
7. They consume intentionally.
Instead of mindlessly scrolling, they intentionally consume podcasts and content that help them think differently and generate new ideas.
Consuming quality content, whether that’s reading a book or listening to a podcast, is often the catalyst for great ideas. Instead of mindlessly scrolling Instagram for a quick dopamine hit, strategic leaders spend time consuming content that will help them gain new perspectives and ideas.
8. They’re curious.
They don’t hesitate to ask questions and dig deeper into an idea.
Curiosity is one of the 2 core leadership superpowers (the other is empathy, in case you’re curious). Great strategic leaders ask a ton of questions and strive to understand both the ‘what’ and the ‘why’ so they know exactly where improvements can be made.
9. They are critical thinkers.
Instead of blindly following an idea or doing what’s always been done, they consistently challenge ideas.
This one follows #8. Getting curious first and then questioning why things are being done the way they are is what leads to new ideas and improvements. Strategic thinkers aren’t afraid to challenge the status quo. In fact, they know that’s the key way to win.
10. They run tiny experiments.
Strategic leaders know that no one has the best idea their first time, so they have lots of ideas, test them quickly and then tweak or double down.
The idea is to get clear on what success looks like and know when to double down or shut it down. Strategic leaders are willing to test things, fail and then make improvements so that they eventually find out what works.
Here’s my challenge for you: Choose 1-3 of these habits that you want to implement to start showing up as a more strategic leader today.
I mentioned that my group program (that teaches you to master this and so much more) is now open for enrollment! Until the end of July, you can get a $900 discount!! Learn more about the program and sign up for access to the program that teaches everything you need to know to land a VP role and thrive in it.
Until next time friends… ✌️💜
Katy
