Leading with Strategic Thinking. Olson Aaron K.

thinking and leadership in action.

      2. The Four Types of Strategic LeadershipIntroduces our methodology and overarching framework. We describe the key activities we see leaders typically apply when practicing one of four types of strategic leadership:

      a. Visionary LeadershipDriving strategy through personal vision.

      b. Directive LeadershipDriving strategy through structure and process.

      c. Incubating LeadershipDriving strategy through empowering others.

      d. Collaborative LeadershipDriving strategy through cocreation.

      3. Examples of Strategic LeadershipFour case studies describe what real-world leaders do when applying the four types of strategic leadership.

      4. Applying Strategic LeadershipSpotlights how leaders can apply the concepts of this book to make conscious decisions to lead strategically, with a focus on gaining insight and driving change. A case study highlights one leader's intentional approach to adapt his leadership style to get results.

      5. Garnering Buy-in, Commitment, and AdvocacySpotlights what individuals, depending on their strategic leadership type, must (1) consider as likely biases and blind spots, and the steps they must take to mitigate them; and (2) do to garner the buy-in, commitment, and advocacy of others. We provide examples to demonstrate how strategic leaders draw upon the hearts, minds, and hands of followers.

      6. Developing Strategic LeadershipShowcases the skills that strategic leaders must demonstrate to be effective as strategic leaders, including how many of those skills vary depending on the type of strategic leadership being applied. We highlight practical examples of how we see strategic leadership developed at both the individual and organizational levels.

      Case studies are included throughout this book, and discussions with leaders were an essential part of our work. The strategic thinkers and leaders willing to share their stories with us include Todd Connor; Brian Fitzpatrick; Liz Gerber, PhD; David Hammond; José Ignacio Sordo; Ronald Kirschner, MD; Erica Labovitz; Neil Nicoll; Danae Ringlemann; and Slava Rubin. These selfless individuals have shared insights without which this book would not have been possible.

      Conversations with a slate of friends, associates, and colleagues also helped make this book possible. For this, we thank Greg Besio, Rich Gravelin, Robert Hooper, Chris Kingseed, Ingo Schiller, Kevin Murnane, Dan Tepke, and the faculty, staff, and students of Northwestern University's Masters of Learning and Organizational Change program, where we have had the privilege to teach.

      Many professional colleagues at Aon Hewitt graciously shared their expertise and research as input to our work. For this, we thank Seymour Adler, Shelli Greenslade, Jessie Leisten, Ken Oehler, and Lorraine Stomski. Special thanks are due to Aon Hewitt CEO Kristi Savacool, who sponsored our collaboration and who was generous with her own time and insights on this topic.

      Our wonderful editor, Shannon Vargo, and the team at Wiley have provided invaluable advice and support to us throughout the writing process. Thank you to Matt Holt, Lauren Freestone, and Elizabeth Gildea.

      A special thanks goes to Jeanne Olson, who helped us immensely while working on our manuscript. Her input on our writing and her illustrations, which you will find throughout the text, have greatly added to the quality and clarity of how our work is presented.

      INTRODUCTION

      Whether responsible for one or many, whether attempting to influence an individual or a nation, we consider strategic thinking and leadership to be of paramount importance.

      Issues and Considerations

      Strategic thinking and leadership are effective only if they occur within the proper context. Their relevance is only clear if you have first thought about several fundamental questions: What do you care about? What are your challenges? What do you aspire to become? How do you wish to contribute to your colleagues, team, organization, or community?

      Answers to such fundamental questions open the door to a slate of additional questions. How do you interpret the present, past, and future? How do you identify and analyze the full range of available options? How do you influence others to support your chosen course of action? What actions will you take to achieve the impact you desire?

      This book goes beyond the mechanics of strategic thinking and leadership. We will explore the motives and preferences that lead to an individual thinking and acting strategically. Regardless of your goal, information provided in this book will help you recognize and leverage the positive aspects of your personal style and also avoid your personal blind spots.

      In some ways, strategic thinking is like constructing a mental map that connects the current “here and now” to something, somewhere, or sometime in the future. Just like a road map that will take you from the countryside into the center of a large city, strategic thinking gives you a general feel for your route, gives you waypoints that help designate your path, and provides guidance if things turn sideways while you are en route.

The Importance of Holistic Perspective

      Strategic thinking occurs during every phase of your overall effort. Such a holistic perspective helps you raise awareness of key considerations, build confidence regarding the appropriate path forward, and increase precision in executing planned actions.

      A leader benefits from a holistic perspective just as a pilot benefits from considering all aspects of flying an aircraft. A close colleague who is a pilot recently told us about the roles, responsibilities, and considerations of piloting a twin-engine airplane. He pointed out that operating a high-performance airplane capable of cruising at 520 miles per hour at altitudes of more than 49,000 feet carries a lot of responsibility. At that speed, the plane is covering almost 8.7 miles each minute or the equivalent of two football fields each second. To function in a responsible manner, pilots adhere to certain principles that help them maintain a holistic perspective. It is critical that the pilot be aware of what is happening within their own mind and body, within the cockpit and aircraft, and within the surrounding 50 to 75 miles of airspace. Our colleague suggests these are some of the guiding principles pilots consider when handling an airplane:

      ■ Your focus and attention must “stay ahead of the airplane.”

      ■ You must be forward looking and forward thinking.

      ■ You should direct your eyes outside of the cockpit approximately 90 percent of the time, directing your eyes inside the cockpit 10 percent of the time.

      ■ You should use multiple cockpit instruments to verify or discount the data you receive from any one instrument, in order to alert you to a malfunctioning instrument.

      ■ You must properly “manage the cockpit.” Awareness is only half of the equation, and cockpit resource management ensures that the pilot receives full benefit from all of the available resources, including data from cockpit instruments, recommendations from fellow crew members, observations from outside the cockpit, and guidance coming from air traffic controllers.

      ■ You must ensure full understanding of who is in control – there can only be one pilot in command of the aircraft at any given time.

      Clearly, piloting an aircraft requires a holistic perspective. We find that the same is true for effective strategic thinking. In the course of our work advising individuals and organizations, we have found that the most effective leaders take similar steps to achieve appropriate awareness, anticipate required actions, share responsibility, mitigate risk, and ensure intended outcomes.

The Importance of Context

      Just as a holistic perspective improves strategic thinking by ensuring that all factors are considered, it is also important to consider context. One of us (Simerson) grew up in a rural area of North Carolina known for its cattle. There I learned that there are two primary techniques for managing livestock. In this context, the prevailing wisdom is that close-quarter range management is better than open-range management. The close proximity of the herd allows one to monitor and manage each head of livestock more closely. That said, the same technique is not better from a broader perspective – population density creates issues of disease control and environmental impact management.

      For the more urban reader, consider this question: