Help, is on the way

I love watching March Madness.  The NCAA basketball tournament brings with it a sense of urgency and chaos that professional sports leagues can’t match.  It strikes me how much more important leadership, communication and strategy is at the collegiate level.  Watching the on floor leadership of Cooper Flagg at Duke or Walter Clayton Jr. at Florida for example or their pregame routine is impressive. It is clear before every contest that they know their game plan, their indivdual assignments – their team’s strategy.

What is even more important is that during the games at any whistle, teams have micro-huddles to check-in and refresh the strategy during stoppage in play. They discuss offense plans, defensive strategy, player assignments and on their own fatigue levels. Even without their coach on the floor to guide them, they all know the strategy, their role is to execute.

The best coaches are intensely prepared, know their opponents and opposing coaches go to plays.  Similarly, executives know their competition.  They know the market and where the opportunities are. However, like coaches, the critical function for executives is to communicate that information throughout their respective teams.  Set the plan.  Communicate it.  Adjust as necessary.  The teams that do the best bring together talent, sure, but also have the best strategy. Talent isn’t always enough to achieve your goals.

Throughout my career, both working in-house and as an external consultant I’ve had countless discussions about strategy with some interesting feedback. A few years ago, I had a couple of conversations that have stuck with me. They were instructive in how strategy isn’t just about making a plan—it’s about ensuring that everyone, from the boardroom to the break room, understands and aligns with that plan – and what happens when they don’t. Except, it’s shocking how many organizations I’ve worked for and with, don’t have a proper strategy.

As Benjamin Franklin famously said, ‘If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.’

With one such organization I had been subtly asking around for the company’s strategic plan, to no avail.   So I went directly to the long-tenured EVP expressing my interest in the company’s corporate strategy and I inquired, curiously and respectfully, “can you give me a sense of the business’s strategy?” Without missing a beat we rushed to a whiteboard, where he pointed to a concise, bulleted list of goals.The usual things flared out, like Increase market value. Expand product offerings. Optimize costs. In total, there were a half dozen things on the list, including a vague line item:  “CEOs pet project” without definition.

Sure, it was a nice list, but it was by no means a strategy. I gently pushed back, saying, “that’s not a strategy. Those are outcomes of a strategy.” He stared at me; his expression paled as if I had just spoken in a foreign language. For him, the operational goals were the strategy—concrete, measurable, and certain. But therein lay the issue: without a clear, shared strategic framework, goals remain disconnected from purpose.

Fast forward to a conversation with a CEO of a different organization. I raised the importance of a formalized strategic plan, explaining that it could be the bedrock upon which everything else was built. His response was swift—almost defensive. “We don’t need a strategic plan,” he said, frustration creeping into his voice. “They are a waste of time. Our business moves too fast for the time invested in creating something that will be stale by the time it’s distributed.”

The idea of a well-defined strategy, with all its guiding principles and long-term vision, was foreign to him. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to succeed—it was that he didn’t understand how vital it was to communicate, reinforce, and build around a strategy that everyone could align with.  I couldn’t imagine Duke Coach Jon Scheyer with half of his roster being freshmen, telling them to run out there and ‘figure it out as you go’ with the only ‘direction (goal) being ‘win the game’.  It’s the strategy, leadership and frequency of check-in’s that keeps them winning, not just talent.

In far too many organizations, the notion of a properly crafted and well defined corporate strategy is seen as stifling. Or perhaps some executives resist accountability or see the lack of fluidity and dynamism as bureaucratic. Whatever the case, the lack of corporate strategy creates significant risk. In 1987, Michael Porter wrote for HBR that “corporate raiders thrive on failed corporate strategy.”

These two conversations, though different in tone and context, have shaped how I think about strategy. The first was a reminder that strategy isn’t about operational checklists; it’s about setting a framework, an overarching vision that allows the organization to prioritize, adapt, and make decisions. The second was a lesson in the risks of strategy without communication. A plan, no matter how brilliant, is useless if it’s not communicated and embedded into the company culture.

A few things to keep in mind as you debate the merits of strategy.

Strategy is not just the end of a process, it’s the start of a conversation. It’s the alignment of every individual, team, and department around a shared set of goals and principles. When I think about the role of strategy in any organization, it’s clear to me that the real work doesn’t happen when the strategy is made—it happens when it’s communicated effectively to every single person in the organization.

To truly succeed, strategy must be seen not just as a top-down directive, but as a conversation across all levels of the business. It is, in essence, a continuous dialogue. Without that, no matter how great the plan, the outcome will always fall short of its potential. Employees will move in different directions. Teams will fail to cooperate. The organization will lose focus, and the strategic intent will fade into a list of forgotten goals.

I’ve also seen circumstances where the chaos is weaponized, and used as a pointy stick.  It isn’t hard to imagine how employees, without direction and engaged leadership will drift around and create their own priorities.  By providing corporate touchpoints rooted in business priorities, it becomes easier for managers and executives to lead.

Absence of strategy creates internal chaos. Burntout employees scurry around like mice without a strategy to hold on to. This lack of direction will ultimately lead to burnout or attrition. Providing employees with a foundation for action is vital.  It gives a strong sense of purpose, and connects outcomes. It provides Clear Direction and Alignment: it helps employees understand the company’s long-term vision, helping them see how their individual work contributes to broader goals.

It can also help improve Decision-Making: With a solid strategy in place, employees can make better decisions on a day-to-day basis, knowing what’s aligned with the company’s objectives and what isn’t. Increased Engagement: Employees who understand the company’s strategy are more likely to feel invested in its success, boosting motivation and job satisfaction.

Empowered Communication: Employees can communicate more effectively both internally and externally because they understand the company’s strategic direction, strengthening relationships with clients, stakeholders, and even other team members. Trust your employees – if they have a plan to follow, they will follow it.

At its core, a strategic plan should serve as the connective tissue of an organization, guiding everyone toward a common vision. When done well, it transcends individual departments, silos, and operational goals. It’s the unifying thread that holds everything together, aligning people and processes in a way that fosters innovation, growth, and ultimately success. But that only happens when it’s communicated clearly, consistently, and comprehensively.

So, the next time you’re in a room discussing your strategy, ask yourself: Is it being heard? Is it being understood? And—most importantly—is it truly driving your organization forward?

#leadership #strategy #business