Executive Strategic Leadership

Strategy and Strategic Planning October 25, 2025
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Introduction

Strategic leadership is the art of influencing others to voluntarily make decisions that enhance the organization's long-term viability and competitive position. This program is exclusively designed for senior executives, focusing on the high-level responsibilities of shaping, communicating, and stewarding the organizational strategy. It moves beyond analytical tools to address the critical human dimensions of strategy: creating a compelling vision, fostering a strategic culture, and making high-stakes, ambiguous decisions under pressure. Participants will refine their leadership presence and ability to drive continuous strategic renewal across their enterprise.

Objectives

To elevate executive-level strategic capabilities, focusing on vision setting, decision-making under uncertainty, strategic alignment, and the human dimension of change leadership:

Target Audience

  • C-Level Executives (CEO, CFO, CIO, CMO, etc.).
  • Executive Vice Presidents and Senior Vice Presidents.
  • General Managers of large business units.
  • Board Members and Non-Executive Directors.
  • High-potential leaders identified for immediate succession into executive roles.

Methodology

  • High-level case studies and structured discussions on executive failures/successes.
  • Scenario planning workshop focused on a major industry disruption.
  • Peer coaching and feedback sessions on strategic communication.
  • Confidential leadership self-assessment and 360-degree feedback.
  • Structured debate on ethical dilemmas in strategic decision-making.

Personal Impact

  • Refined ability to articulate a compelling, unifying organizational vision.
  • Mastery of high-stakes strategic decision-making and risk assessment.
  • Enhanced leadership presence and skill in influencing stakeholders (Board, investors).
  • Deeper understanding of organizational design and culture as strategic levers.
  • Improved capacity to lead and sustain complex strategic transformation.

Organizational Impact

  • Clearer, more consistent strategic direction and organizational focus.
  • Higher quality and robustness of strategic decisions made under pressure.
  • Increased stakeholder confidence and investor relations.
  • Faster, more successful execution of enterprise-wide strategic change.
  • A culture of continuous strategic learning and renewal driven from the top.

Course Outline

Unit 1: Defining the Executive Strategic Mandate

The Role of the Executive Strategist
  • Distinguishing strategic leadership from operational management.
  • The dual challenge: Exploiting current advantage while exploring future opportunities.
  • The executive's role in framing strategic questions and challenges.
  • Assessing personal strategic leadership strengths and weaknesses.
Vision, Purpose, and Direction Setting
  • Techniques for crafting a transcendent, unifying organizational purpose.
  • Developing an ambitious, yet credible, future vision.
  • Leading the process of strategic renewal and reinvention.

Unit 2: Strategic Decision-Making and Foresight

Decision-Making Under Ambiguity
  • Techniques for making high-stakes decisions with incomplete information.
  • Recognizing and mitigating cognitive biases in executive decision-making (e.g., confirmation bias).
  • The role of "fast" versus "slow" thinking in strategic choices.
Foresight and Scenario Planning
  • Developing a structured process for organizational foresight.
  • Mastering advanced scenario planning to test strategy robustness.
  • Identifying weak signals and strategic inflection points.
  • Building strategic optionality and resilience into the business model.

Unit 3: Shaping the Strategic Organization

Culture and Strategy Alignment
  • Diagnosing the organizational culture and its fitness for the desired strategy.
  • The executive's role in defining and rewarding strategic behaviors.
  • Communicating the strategy with coherence, conviction, and emotional resonance.
Strategy Governance and Accountability
  • Designing the executive team's role in strategy governance and review.
  • Ensuring clear accountability for strategic outcomes across the C-suite.
  • Effectively engaging and leading the Strategy Management Office (SMO).

Unit 4: Leading Strategic Transformation

The Strategic Change Imperative
  • Leading large-scale, enterprise-wide strategic transformation efforts.
  • Managing the political and emotional resistance to executive-led change.
  • Mobilizing and empowering a guiding coalition of senior leaders.
  • Sustaining momentum and follow-through across a long transformation arc.
Ecosystem and External Leadership
  • Strategically engaging regulators, government, and the community.
  • Leading strategic partnerships, alliances, and ecosystem plays.
  • Shaping industry dialogue and setting the strategic agenda.

Unit 5: Personal Strategic Mastery

Executive Presence and Influence
  • Refining the executive's personal narrative and leadership brand.
  • Techniques for influencing the Board of Directors on strategic direction.
  • Mastering strategic communication in high-stakes settings (investor days, crises).
Self-Management and Renewal
  • Managing the personal demands and ethical challenges of executive leadership.
  • Building an executive support system and personal sounding board.

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