How often does the typical employee think about corporate strategy compared to the demands of day-to-day work? For some employees it’s as infrequent as an intermittent town hall meeting. While the necessary pivots many businesses had to manage as a result of the Covid-19 Pandemic may have created opportunities for more frequent communication between employees and senior leaders, the demands of each workday can easily outshine the greater corporate strategy. Yet – the ultimate measure of success is whether a corporation achieves its strategic goals.

Strategic thinking is always important; it’s a critical foundation skill for effective leaders.  But in crucible leadership moments like the present, it has outsized importance. 

In our work at Insight Experience, we focus a lot on communication as a key lever of leadership.  It’s never been more important than right now, when many are facing crucible moments in and outside their business. 

Say what you will about the current crisis, it is clearly a crucible time for leaders.  Not all leadership moments are created equal, and this one is huge.  For most of us there has not been a more important time in our leadership lives.  This is both good and bad news:  it means the consequences of your leadership now will most likely have outsized impact in the future.  How we each behave as leaders in these moments of fear and uncertainty, when our most basic human instincts crowd in, will be remembered long after the crisis is past.  Like it or not, this will be part of your leadership legacy, so consider carefully the choices you make.       

  Throughout history, navigation and the ability to “Find our Way” has been an essential skill. When leading others, navigation and wayfinding is especially important, and in some cases a matter of life and death.

Mission driven nonprofits can teach us a lot about one of leadership’s most powerful levers: discretionary effort.        

Every successful leader must grapple with and answer this fundamental question: What do you stand for? A key element of leadership is tapping the hearts and minds and the discretionary effort of others. This happens when people understand and believe in what you believe.