Strategic planning isn’t something that gets done in a vacuum and it most definitely isn’t something that just anyone offers to do. It’s an arduous process. It’s a bit messy. It requires significant commitment. But more than anything, it demands courage. Only real leaders, new and experienced, see the need for organizational strategic planning and take the initiative to accomplish it.
Strategic Planning Is A Mile Marker.
In order for a business to achieve its goals, it FIRST needs to know what those goals are. It sounds simple enough, but you’d be surprised by the number of companies that don’t bother to closely and courageously examine themselves. SECOND, they must take these intentions and align them to their overall mission. Otherwise, what sense to the goals make in the scheme of your company’s purpose? THIRD, you must COMMUNICATE everything to your stakeholders. If your people don’t know what the goals are, you’ll never meet them.
This duty calls for a truly courageous leader!
Courage Comes In Three Ways.
In my experience, courage is a behavior that manifests in three distinct ways. I refer to these as the Three Buckets of Courage. When it comes to strategic planning, the bucket most often pulled from is Try Courage.
Try Courage requires stepping up to the plate – even when the task is daunting. And to be sure, strategic planning is a foreboding task (especially for someone early in their leadership career!) Initiative and action are the hallmarks of Try Courage, notably when you see someone attempting a new project for the first time. When someone stretches beyond their comfort zone and takes a risk to do something they’ve never tried before, it is courageous. Situations like these season leaders and demonstrate their mettle to others and themselves.
Only real leaders, new and experienced, see the need for organizational strategic planning and take the initiative to accomplish it.
Getting The Plan Done.
Don’t fall into the trap that you must have your plan done by a certain time. If you meant to have your plan in place prior to the New Year, that doesn’t mean you can’t start one now. Courageous leaders don’t give up and they don’t give in to other’s notions of appropriate deadlines. It’s not too late to start your planning whenever you want to. Use your inspiration, drive, and courage to take a risk and do it NOW. After all, leaders know what rules are meant to be broken and when to break them.
Initiative and action are the hallmarks of Try Courage, notably when you see someone attempting a new project for the first time.
Get The Best Support.
Whether you want to know more about courage, strategic planning, or both, Giant Leap Consulting stands ready to help. We have led courage-building workshops for thousands of executives across the globe and we provide high-quality, tailored strategic planning services that have been used in corporate, non-profit, and even academic research settings.
“In my career, it was one of the most inclusive processes I’ve been part of, and you can see this in the result: a clear vision of what we need to do to work towards the expansion of our services in the long term, while continuing to provide critical services in the short term.” – Beth Maczka, CEO of the Asheville YWCA
Our proven strategic planning process will bring each member of your team into clear alignment with your purpose, direction, and desired impact. However you define success, Giant Leap will teach you exactly how to achieve your courageous vision for a future that is worthy of your collective efforts and ambitions.
