Leadership

What Is Strategy and How to Build One

This guide provides insights into the essential principles of strategic planning, helping leaders navigate complex challenges with clarity and purpose.

Leadership Topics

24 Oct 2024 — 7 min read

Understanding what strategy truly is and how to build one can be the difference between thriving in a competitive world or falling behind. Photo by Jonathan Francisca.

Strategy is often seen as the roadmap to success, but in reality, it’s more than that. It’s a force that shapes who we become as we navigate the complexities of work and life. Imagine standing at the edge of an ever-changing landscape—one where every decision ripples out, touching competitors, customers, and unseen forces. This is the world where strategy lives, a world where simply moving forward isn’t enough. You have to move with purpose, understanding, and an eye on what’s coming next.

We often think of strategy as a plan, a set of tasks, or goals neatly written down. But true strategy isn’t just about crossing things off a list. It’s about aligning your actions with a bigger vision. It’s about becoming—not just doing. For those who are ready to not only survive but thrive, the question becomes: How do we make strategy a living, breathing part of our journey?

Embracing Strategy as a Mindset

Strategy is more than something you create at the beginning of the year and revisit only during quarterly meetings. It’s the lens through which you view your actions, your goals, and the world around you. The key to effective strategy lies in understanding the interconnectedness of everything—how each decision you make isn’t just about what happens next, but about the ripple effects it will cause down the line.

When you step back and see the bigger picture, strategy stops feeling like a burden and starts becoming a natural part of your thinking. You begin to anticipate not just your own actions but the reactions of everyone else involved. Competitors will react, markets will shift, and people will choose based on their needs and desires, not yours. That’s the challenge, but it’s also the opportunity.

Take a moment to visualize: You’re navigating a fast-flowing river, currents pulling in multiple directions. Strategy is your boat, your guide to navigating not just the obvious obstacles but the unseen undercurrents. The question isn’t just where you want to go—it’s how the river itself will shape your journey.

Creating Change, Not Just Plans

If you think of strategy as simply a plan of action, you’re missing its deeper purpose. A powerful strategy is about the change you seek to create—within yourself, within your team, and within the world. It’s not about checking off goals on a to-do list. It’s about setting a vision for who you will become and what kind of mark you want to leave.

Imagine planting a seed. You don’t expect a fully grown tree tomorrow, but you understand that nurturing it will eventually yield something strong, something lasting. That’s what strategy is—a process of planting the seeds for future growth. You have to be willing to tend to it, to invest time and effort, even when results aren’t immediate. Because true strategy isn’t about quick wins—it’s about cultivating something that will thrive long into the future.

So when you start crafting your strategy, ask yourself: What change am I working toward? Who will I become through this process? This clarity of vision will anchor you, guiding your decisions and helping you stay the course when distractions and obstacles inevitably arise.

Navigating Systems for Strategic Advantage

In any field, whether business, personal growth, or beyond, you’re always working within systems. These are the invisible structures—the market, the economy, the cultural norms—that either push you forward or hold you back. Understanding the systems you operate in is key to creating a strategy that works.

Think about it: a surfer doesn’t waste time fighting against the waves. Instead, they learn to read the ocean, understand its rhythm, and position themselves to catch the right wave at the right time. That’s what strategy should be—an ability to read the system, to see where the opportunities lie, and to align yourself with the forces that will propel you forward.

But how do you do that? It starts with observation. Pay attention to the patterns around you—the way your industry moves, the way people behave, the way technology shifts the landscape. Then ask yourself: Where can I find leverage? Where can a small action create a big impact? By working with the system, instead of against it, you’ll uncover pathways to success that others overlook.

Empathy as a Strategic Superpower

At the heart of any great strategy is empathy. It’s easy to focus on your own needs, your own goals, but real progress comes when you understand the needs and motivations of others. Whether it’s your customers, your team, or your community, the ability to see the world from their perspective changes everything.

Empathy isn’t just about listening—it’s about truly understanding. When you grasp the challenges, desires, and pain points of those around you, you can design strategies that meet them where they are. You can stop trying to push people toward what you want and start guiding them toward what they need. The magic happens when your goals align with the deeper needs of the people you serve.

Think about the last time you felt truly understood by someone—how that feeling of connection made you trust them, follow their lead, or support their vision. That’s what empathy in strategy does. It builds bridges, it creates connections, and it transforms your efforts from self-serving to deeply impactful.

Simplicity is the Ultimate Sophistication

Complexity is seductive. It makes us feel smart, like we’ve covered every angle. But often, the best strategies are the simplest. Clarity, focus, and simplicity allow you to execute more effectively and stay aligned with your goals.

In a world that’s constantly changing, having a simple, clear strategy acts as your north star. It’s easy to get distracted by the noise—new technologies, emerging competitors, shifting markets—but when your strategy is simple, you can stay the course. You know what you’re working toward, and you have a clear roadmap to get there.

Strip away the unnecessary. Focus on the actions that matter most. When your strategy is built on a foundation of simplicity, you create space for creativity, adaptability, and impact.

The Journey is the Strategy

At the end of the day, strategy isn’t just about where you’re going—it’s about who you become along the way. It’s a journey, one that’s constantly evolving, one that asks you to grow, learn, and adapt. The beauty of strategy is that it’s not a rigid plan—it’s a flexible guide that helps you navigate an uncertain world with confidence and purpose.

You won’t always get it right. There will be setbacks, mistakes, and moments of doubt. But that’s part of the process. Every step forward, every lesson learned, shapes you into a better leader, a more insightful strategist, and a more capable human being.

The real power of strategy lies not in the outcomes, but in the journey of becoming. It’s about the change you create, the people you uplift, and the impact you leave behind. So embrace it. Dive in. And let your strategy guide you toward the future you’re meant to create.

Leadership Topics