71. Strategy Success: How to Communicate Your Gameplan

Control & Empowerment

Balancing control and empowerment is a critical challenge for leaders aiming for strategic success. Jesper Sørensen highlights the importance of constructive communication within organizations, emphasizing the need for structured debates that allow for listening and understanding different perspectives 1. He notes that while delegation and empowerment are often praised, leaders frequently struggle with the fear of subordinates making decisions they wouldn't have made themselves. This tension requires a balance between guiding decisions and allowing autonomy:

You want somebody who might be closer to the information to make a better decision because they have more information, but you want them to think about it the way you think about it.

--- Jesper Sørensen

Creating a space where team members can engage constructively is essential for effective strategy development 1.

   

Leadership Decisions

Leadership and decision-making are pivotal in shaping strategic initiatives. Matt Abrahams underscores the significance of strategic communication, which involves not just executing tasks but also reflecting on broader strategies 2. Sørensen differentiates strategy from planning, explaining that strategy involves securing resources and engaging with external actors, while planning focuses on controllable actions. He asserts that strategy is inherently more complex due to its reliance on interactions with customers and suppliers:

Planning is about the things that you can control, but strategy is really much more complicated in that sense.

--- Jesper Sørensen

This complexity necessitates a thoughtful approach to leadership and decision-making to ensure strategic success 2.