How can you maximise the strength of ‘Strategic’ as a leader?

Imagine a team where every member understands their unique strengths and talents, and knows how to harness them for maximum impact. Strengths Finder® is an online psychometric tool used by millions of people globally to identify their natural talents and what they do best.  Through a series of online questions, the Clifton Strengths Finder® identifies your top strengths of your team members from a list of 34 unique strengths grouped into four domains: Executing, Influencing, Relationship Building, and Strategic Thinking. By understanding how to harness your natural talents you’ll excel in your role.

Leaders who have the strength of Strategic have a leadership style that is characterised by forward-thinking, innovation, and effective planning. Here are some tips for leading with the Strategic strength:

1. Set a clear vision: As a strategic leader, you’ll have a clear and compelling vision that inspires and motivates your team. Use your ability to see the big picture and anticipate future trends to develop a vision that aligns with your team's strengths and goals.

2. Create a strategic plan: Use your strategic thinking skills to develop a plan that outlines the steps needed to achieve your team's goals. Be sure to involve your team in the planning process and solicit their input and ideas.  Remember that what may be obvious to you is not always obvious to those who don’t have this same strength of strategic. You may need to articulate your thinking more to ensure everyone is on board.

3. Foster creativity and innovation: As a leader with the Strategic strength, you are likely to have many innovative ideas. Encourage creativity and innovation within your team, and create a culture that values and rewards new ideas and approaches.

4. Anticipate and manage risks: Use your ability to anticipate potential risks and challenges to develop contingency plans that enable your team to respond quickly and effectively to unexpected events.

5. Develop others: Use your strength to identify the strengths and talents of your team members and provide opportunities for them to develop their own strategic thinking skills. Coach and mentor them to help them grow as leaders and contributors to the team's success.

6. Communicate effectively: As a strategic leader, it's important to communicate your vision, plans, and ideas clearly and effectively to your team. Use your strategic thinking skills to articulate complex concepts in simple and understandable terms, and adapt your communication style to suit different audiences.

7. Partner generously – others may not see the bigger picture, or think as strategically as you. If colleagues are willing to accept help, enjoy giving it. You may be able to save them thinking time and energy.

8. Encourage critical thinking: Foster a culture of critical thinking within your team by encouraging open discussions and debates. Use your strategic strength to challenge assumptions, ask probing questions, and stimulate creative problem-solving among team members.

9. Embrace change: As a strategic leader, you are likely to be comfortable with change and can see opportunities in it. Embrace change as a natural part of the business environment and encourage your team to be adaptable and flexible in their approach to change.

10. Delegate strategically: Use your strategic thinking skills to identify the strengths and abilities of your team members, and delegate tasks and responsibilities accordingly. This will not only empower your team members but also enable you to focus on higher-level strategic initiatives.

11. Lead by example: Be a role model for your team by consistently demonstrating strategic thinking in your actions and decision-making. Show integrity, resilience, and adaptability in your leadership style, and inspire your team to follow suit.

By leveraging the Strategic strength, you can effectively lead your team towards forward-thinking, innovation, and effective planning, resulting in better performance and outcomes for your team and organization.

Contact me to find out how Clifton Strengths Finder® can enable you and your team to work with their natural talents and energy for greater results.

Also known as Gallup Strengths Finder®