An article published in the Harvard Business Review by Paul J.H. Schoemaker, Steve Krupp and Samanth Howland titled “Strategic Leadership: The Essential Skills” describes six skills that a leader needs to be a Strategic Leader.
If a leader has those skills they become “someone who is both resolute and flexible, persistent in the face of setbacks but also able to react strategically to environmental shifts”.
So, what are those six skills and what makes them more important than other leadership skills when it comes to being a strategic leader. Here is a brief look at each skill:
- Anticipate
This is the skill of being able to identify ambiguous threats and opportunities. Strategic leaders are continuously scanning the environment to pick up signals that will help them be prepared for the unexpected. They are adept at gathering information from various sources and running multiple scenarios to understand the potential upside or downside.
- Challenge
This is the skill of being able to invite different ideas and viewpoints before deciding. It means being open to opposing views and to views that contradict strongly held beliefs. Strategic leaders are not afraid to challenge the status quo. They don’t hesitate to encourage divergent thinking. This enables them to be innovative in coming up with solutions and new business ideas or paths.
- Interpret
This is the skill of finding hidden implications or insights from information that is presented. The strategic leader will look at complex or conflicting information, synthesize the information, work through the ambiguity and recognise patterns that lead to fresh understanding.
- Decide
Strategic leaders don’t rely on yes/no thinking. In rapidly changing and sometimes unfamiliar conditions, they pursue options to help them decide. They consider the trade-offs of multiple options, balancing rigour with speed, to reach a conclusion. The disciplined and robust process gives them the confidence and conviction to push forward with their decisions.
- Align
Strategic leaders actively manage the breadth of stakeholders they need to interact with in the course of their work. They build relationships and through well-timed and effective communication they find common ground that secures buy-in from key stakeholders. This skill builds trust and makes it easier for the strategic leaders to push through differing views and agendas.
- Learn
Many leaders do not have time to pause and reflect. Strategic leaders are inquisitive and make the time to review both successes and failures. They evaluate outcomes to find the hidden lessons that can drive improvements. Failures and mistakes are not punished or covered up, instead, they are examined and every ounce of learning is pulled out for future use.
If you would like to read the full HBR article, you can find it here: https://hbr.org/2013/01/strategic-leadership-the-esssential-skills