Moving from Reactive to Strategic
Strategic thinking isn't reserved for a select few. It's a leadership skill anyone can develop, including you and your team.
Many leaders find strategic thinking elusive simply because they've never seen it demonstrated practically. Between packed calendars and constant firefighting, strategic thinking often takes a backseat.
As someone whose top CliftonStrength is Strategic, I love exploring possibilities through thoughtful questioning. But I also know not everyone's brain works this way naturally—which is why I'm passionate about demystifying this skill.
Being strategic means lifting your gaze beyond daily operations to spot patterns, anticipate challenges, and make decisions today that position you for tomorrow's success. When you cultivate this in yourself and your team, you'll experience fewer crises, more innovation, and stronger alignment.
The shift to proactive leadership starts with three questions:
✔ Where are you and your team truly headed?
✔ What are you building that matters?
✔ What obstacles can be turned into opportunities?
The key is curiosity. By asking powerful questions and creating space for reflection (even just 30 minutes weekly), you'll unlock new possibilities. When you model this approach, you empower your team to develop their strategic muscles too.
Best,
Susanne
Many teams spend most of their time reacting. They’re putting out fires, managing crises, and addressing immediate issues. Finding time to be strategic sometimes means waiting for your summer retreat. But you don’t need to wait. You can shift your team from a reactive mindset to a more strategic one in just 10 minutes.
One exercise I use to help teams pause the daily hustle and think more strategically is quick and focused. In this session, team members reflect on two key questions:
What’s one challenge we’ve been reacting to repeatedly?
What’s one question we could ask to help us get ahead of it?
Have your team generate proactive ideas that can help shift the team dynamic and work. This is a low-lift, high-impact exercise that sparks strategic thinking and creates space for forward momentum—even in the busiest of times.
If you want to use this exercise with your team, I’ve created a detailed facilitation guide to help you implement it. Click the button below to access it.
My Favorite Resources
Great leaders never stop learning. Each month, I’ll share a few resources–books, articles, podcasts, and tools–to help you lead with clarity and confidence. This month’s resources are focused on helping to get better at asking questions and to improve your strategic thinking.
Book
A More Beautiful Question by Warren Berger
My worn copy has a special place on my bookshelf. We can all get better at asking questions. And Berger’s book helps us do just that.
Article
How to Become a Better Strategic Thinker
I love the reflection questions Rich Horwath poses in this article to help you improve your strategic thinking.
Summer is the perfect time to step back, reset and realign your team. A retreat can help you strengthen connections, spark new ideas and set a clear course for the year ahead. But only if it’s thoughtfully planned and facilitated.
If you are considering a team retreat, now is the time to think about booking that on the calendar. I’ll help guide the conversation, keep your team engaged and make sure you walk away with both clarity and momentum. And as a leader, you get the added bonus of fully participating—without the pressure of facilitating.
