...then it is hard to be open to learning.”
Last month I posted about Dr. Max McKeown’s book, “The Innovator’s Book – Rules for Rebels, Mavericks and Innovators”. In the post, I highlighted a specific page that includes the title quote of this post. I believe it sets up this month’s topic quite nicely as we talk about Strategic Leadership. At the beginning of the calendar year, many businesses, for-profit and non-profit, large corporations and small privately-owned businesses are executing their strategic plans. As we begin yet another calendar/fiscal year, let’s explore what really goes into thinking strategically as a leader in the 21st Century dynamic business environment.
In the past few month’s I’ve given multiple speeches and presentations around these strategic leadership competencies as they are at the core of staying relevant and achieving sustainable success in their businesses. These competencies are based on the research of Kimberly Boal and Robert Hooijberg published in 2009. They suggested that the key competencies that feed strategic leadership effectiveness are; Management Wisdom (synthesize), the Capacity to Absorb (learn) and the Capacity to Change (adapt). Let’s explore each one in more detail.
Sustainable organizational effectiveness is impossible to achieve if the organization’s leaders cannot (or will not) lead strategically! Too much time spent in the day-to-day operations and the Management Wisdom diminishes significantly. If too much time is spent planning and learning about change without active adaption, the business is left behind in their respective markets and industries. Charles Darwin once stated, “It is not the strongest of the species that survive nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” Applying all three strategic leadership skills ensures the business achieves sustainable success!
How are you applying new learning to keep your business relevant?
Lead Well!