Published 6 November 2023 in Brain circuits • 5 min read
Want to get ahead in the business world? Then start talking strategy. Careers thrive when good leadership skills are clearly on display. Here is a checklist to raise awareness regarding what you are – and are not yet –communicating.
If your honest answer is “no” to any of these queries, look to the advice that directly follows.
If not, remember to
Elevate your perspective to help shape the context in which details can then be explored.
If not, remember to
Be forward-looking: Make multi-year projections for your organization’s future.
If not, remember to
Show that you can anticipate effectively by bringing up some possible unintended consequences and broader effects of your options.
If not, remember to
Put your integrative and holistic thought process on display to connect disparate concepts.
If not, remember to
Show your understanding by speaking in simple yet powerful terms.
“Careers thrive when good leadership skills are clearly on display.”
If not, remember to
Use analogies and metaphors to make strategies more relatable and vivid for your audience.
If not, remember to
Ask questions that prompt discussions to help refine ideas and get others to adopt a strategic mindset.
If not, remember to
Show that you are well-informed by citing relevant research and trends.
If not, remember to
Build on what’s been said already, when relevant, to incorporate disparate views and activate the group’s collective intelligence.
If not, remember to
Seek suggestions that demonstrate your commitment to improvement and growth via continuous learning.
For more ideas and sample language to accompany each of the checklist items, check out 10 Ways to Prove You’re a Strategic Thinker by Brenda Steinberg and Michael D Watkins.
The Six Disciplines of Strategic Thinking: Leading Your Organization into the Future by Michael D Watkins is available for preorder before its January 2024 publication date.
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