It’s Often The Execution Phase Where Many Strategic Plans Falter

Imagine a bustling conference room filled with executives from a tech company. The CEO has called a strategic planning session to chart the company’s course for the next five years.

In many organizations, strategic planning begins at the top, with leaders crafting bold visions designed to inspire growth and transformation. While this top-down approach can be effective, it’s often the execution phase where many strategic plans falter.

Why so?

Within the organization, here are some common reasons why strategic plans fail to deliver:

• Lack of buy-in and engagement: If employees aren’t involved in the planning process, they may be less likely to support and implement the plan.
• Poor communication: Miscommunication and lack of clarity can lead to misunderstandings and misalignment.
• Resistance to change: People may resist change, especially if it disrupts their routines or threatens their job security.
• Lack of accountability: Without clear accountability for implementation, strategic plans can languish and fail to deliver results.

As a leader, how do you normally tackle these challenges? Conventional wisdom has taught us to break down challenges into smaller, more manageable parts. We’ve been told to focus on individual skills, such as communication, time management, or problem-solving. Or perhaps we’ve been encouraged to improve our team’s performance by implementing new processes or tools. However, as you lead your team and face these challenges firsthand, you know that these approaches often fall short. They may provide temporary relief, but they don’t address the underlying issues.

The key lies in understanding the interconnectedness of these challenges.

For example, you might think that managing a lack of buy-in or engagement requires specific skillsets like communication and project management. However, the reality is more complex. The way you perceive yourself (self leadership), interact with others (people leadership), and navigate organizational systems (systems leadership) all play a crucial role in addressing these challenges.

• ⁠Self-Leadership involves cultivating self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and a correct mindset. Effective leaders understand their strengths and weaknesses, manage their emotions, and are committed to continuous learning and development. Your ability to lead others starts with leading yourself.

• People Leadership focuses on building strong relationships, motivating teams, and fostering a positive work environment. It involves shifting the focus from holding people accountable to developing accountable people. Effective people leaders are skilled communicators, empathetic listeners, and effective coaches. By empowering employees to be self-accountable, leaders can foster a positive work environment, and create a culture of ownership and initiative. When people feel valued, supported, and empowered, they are more likely to take responsibility for their contribution to the success of the organization.

• Systems Leadership involves understanding and influencing the systems and structures that shape an organization. Effective systems leaders can identify and address systemic issues, drive organizational change, and align people and processes to achieve strategic goals with positive influence. By leading organizational change effectively, they foster adaptability and resilience within their teams, preparing them for future challenges.

To effectively deliver strategic plans, a holistic understanding of leadership’s interconnected dimensions is crucial. By recognizing the interplay between self-leadership, people leadership, and systems leadership, leaders can navigate complex organizational challenges and drive sustainable change. This interconnected approach allows leaders to not only address immediate issues but also to foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and resilience.