Recommended Insights
Recommended Insights

How to Create a Strong Leadership Strategy

How to Create a Strong Leadership Strategy

Organizations depend on capable leadership to guide them through unprecedented changes. Yet there’s ample evidence that even some of the most established organizations are failing to adapt to change, implement their strategic plans successfully, or prepare for an uncertain future.


What Is a Leadership Strategy?


A leadership strategy makes explicit how many leaders are needed, what kind, where they’re needed, with what skills, and behaving in what fashion, both individually and collectively to achieve the desired outcomes.

It also identifies other issues the organization must consider, such as whether current talent systems (like onboarding or performance management) support the culture and leadership the organization wants to create.

Why You Need a Leadership Strategy




When setting bold strategies that call for changes in the direction or capabilities of the organization, consider the leadership gap. One of the first questions to ask is: Do we have the leadership we need for the strategy we’ve set?

How to Create a Leadership Strategy

This is our recommended process to create a leadership strategy that we outline in our white paper:

First, Start With Your Leadership Drivers

The first step in developing a leadership strategy is to determine your organization’s key leadership drivers — the 3-5 determinants of sustainable competitive advantage for your particular organization in your particular industry.

You can’t create a leadership strategy that will be effective without this first critical step.

Then, Identify Leadership Strategy Implications





5 Factors for Creating a Leadership Strategy



  • Skills and behaviors that are needed to implement the business strategy (knowledge base, leadership competencies, etc.). Ask: What skills, competencies, knowledge, and behaviors are needed to implement the business strategy and create the desired culture?



Ready to Take the Next Step?

We can partner with you to help your organization create a leadership strategy that supports and aligns with your business strategy.

May 19, 2020
Leading Effectively Staff
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Leading Effectively Staff

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