How to Balance Tactical Work and Strategic Vision

Picture this: you've just been promoted to a leadership role after years of excelling as an individual contributor. You're eager to make your mark and prove your worth. You know how to get things done quickly, but you also want to be perceived as strategic. How do you strike the right balance? One of my coaching clients faced this exact challenge. As an IC, his reputation for getting things done quickly and avoiding “decision by committee” was always his strongest asset. But he quickly came to the realization that leadership required a different approach when promoted to report into the company’s CTO. He struggled to adapt and recently when a high-stakes decision came his way related to employee performance calibrations, they relied on their old approach: act fast, be decisive and figure it out yourself. But by moving too quickly, he failed to get input from a key stakeholder. The result? Confusion at the C-level, frustration, and a missed chance to show his team's value as thought partners instead of order takers. Through our coaching, my client learned a valuable lesson: Leaders need to know when to make a quick decision and when to take time for careful consideration and seeking input from the right people. Moving from an IC to a leader means knowing when to slow down, gather information, and involve others. Approaching situations with humility and openness to feedback is key to making choices that align with the company's long-term goals. With this new mindset, my client started to change their approach. They worked with their manager to set clear guidelines on when to move fast and when to get input via the RAPID model. They actively looked for ways to collaborate with colleagues and understand the company's needs better. As they found their footing, they realized that success as a leader meant balancing speed with strategic thinking. By staying humble and adjusting their style to the situation, they were able to provide the guidance and support their team and executives needed to make informed decisions. The path from top performer to effective leader is rarely a straight line. But by learning from experience and being willing to adapt, anyone can navigate the challenges of leadership with skill and impact. #promotions #strategicthinking #managingup #executivecoaching

As a leader, where you should your focus be?  As leaders in military special operations, we have to be prepared to directly engage the enemy in ground combat just like everyone else on the team.  Unlike the other team members though, we must constantly transition from looking through a weapons optic to looking at the complete battlefield situation.  The tactical leader here must have the variable focus to instantly go from the micro-focused to the macro-aware and back. For leaders-especially new leaders, it is critical that you manage your areas of focus properly.  You can’t be constantly down in the weeds, nor can you be stuck at the 50,000ft level left unaware or underinformed of the details on the ground.  The reality is that in most leadership positions it requires a seamless shift between both of these planes of focus.  Sometimes the leader must be down in the weeds and be hands on, especially in the infancy of a leadership relationship.  There must be oversight of training and development while also building two-way trust between the subordinate and leader or team.  Often, the leader must be down and in to see for themselves the challenges and realities on the ground, in the field, or on the line.  The challenge is not to get caught there, especially when things go sideways or get chaotic.  The leader cannot allow themselves to be captured by that chaos.  They must be able to shift that focus out enough to get that macro view and to gain objectivity and the full view of the situation in the context of the big picture.  Only then, can they make the proper adjustments and course corrections.  It is the leader’s job to be strategic, to provide the vision, and deliver clear guidance.  It is also the leader’s job to be connected and well informed at the lowest levels of operations.  It is a leader’s job to maintain a variable focus. #leadership #mindset Jon Macaskill Andy Riise

I’ve been thinking a lot about leadership lately, and specifically leaders I’ve worked with over the years. Generally leaders are bucketed into one of two categories, tactical or strategic. Both are essential to a company’s success but those who effectively bridge the gap from tactical to strategic tend to see more opportunity for promotion and growth. I’m a big believer that unlocking strategic thinking involves honing three essential competencies: acumen, allocation, and action. Develop your acumen by understanding your organization inside and out, allocate resources wisely with a focus on alignment, and drive impactful action through effective communication and execution. - Acumen (how you think). Start by assessing your organization’s current context, both from an internal perspective (culture, purpose, processes, etc.) and external perspective (market trends, customer behavior, competitive landscape, etc.). Then get comfortable sharing your valuable insights with your team and key stakeholders. Finally, look for novel approaches to the problems and opportunities you identify. - Allocation (how you plan). A strategic mindset entails the ability to constantly focus and refocus your resources, the courage to make trade-offs and tough decisions, and the willingness to ensure that your use of resources always aligns with your goals and pushes you forward. - Action (what you do). Preparing a strategy is just the first step; how you implement it determines your success. Implementation depends on collaboration and execution. So focus on sharpening your communication skills to deliver your messages effectively (listening to feedback when it arises), and keep your team on track by measuring its performance along the way. What do you think? There are so many incredibly smart people on LI so if you have a top strategy for enhancing one of these key competencies please share your insights below! #StrategicThinking #Leadership #BusinessStrategy