Do We Really Need More Strategic Leaders? Yes.

A few years ago, a colleague and I developed a high potential leadership program for a FORTUNE 50 company.  To inform our program design, we conducted interviews with about twenty senior leaders from across the organization. The group’s comments were insightful, but one stood out given how directly it targeted a skills gap related to up and coming leaders in the organization: “We just don’t have enough strategic thinkers around here.”  This comment struck me as odd given the groundbreaking work the company was, and still is, doing in terms of redefining its industry.  At least per this one senior manager, strategic thinking AND strategic leadership were lacking.

The comment is compelling, but is it true?  Do organizations really need more strategic leaders?

Based upon data for over 35,000 corporate leaders around the world who received feedback on the Leadership Versatility Index 360 in the past 10 years, a full 70% were rated as demonstrating “too little” strategic leadership. The data, which covered C-level executives down to director-level managers, indicate that fewer than one in three leaders are considered “strategic” by their colleagues.

It seems the senior leader I interviewed was right after all.

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The Need to Be More Strategic—More Common than You Might Think

Recently I coached a group of new partners in a well-known, global professional services firm. The engagement consisted of reviewing each person’s 360-degree feedback while working with them to identify areas where they wanted to change their behavior to transition smoothly into their new roles. As partners, they’d still need to lead high-level client work, but they’d also be developing new business and charting the course for the firm’s future with their senior colleagues.   

It’s important to note that each person I worked with was highly accomplished, very intelligent, and exceptionally capable in their work; as expected, their 360 ratings overall were well above the instrument’s average. What was unexpected—for me and them—was the consistent comment that they needed to be ‘more strategic’. When they first received this feedback, it was met with a mix of surprise and, in some instances, confusion. One partner went so far as to say he was ‘alarmed’ by the comment.   

What’s the point? If you’re someone who’s been given this feedback too, don’t despair, you’re in good company.  At very senior levels, in the most sophisticated firms, even accomplished leaders often need to be more strategic.