# Strategic Leadership and Planning

Today, in my learning, I came across a lesson on strategic leadership and planning. According to the class, there's a common dilemma among leaders today: Many leaders think they are leading strategically, but what they're doing is _planning_ strategically, which isn't quite the same thing. Check out this video that was a part of the lesson and is available on YouTube.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2Hndmk18z0\&t=2s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2Hndmk18z0\&t=2s)

Here are four qualities of a Strategic Leader:

1. **Willing to Learn**\
   Strategic people are committed to personal development and self-improvement. Whether they attend conferences, read literature, or learn from experience, they appreciate an opportunity to educate themselves.
2. **Hungry for Advice**\
   Being prepared for the unanticipated, strategic thinkers embrace feedback and critiques from those around them. They test their ideas and concepts to ensure they're sound, welcoming constructive criticism as a source of improvement.
3. **Not Afraid of Risk**\
   These leaders know there will be a certain amount of liability associated with high levels of achievement. However, they take calculated risks, prepare for success and failure, and learn from both.
4. **Ready to Put Organizational Goals First**\
   The only time carefully planned strategies are successful is when they serve the company's or customers' needs. They keep their concepts focused on these two precepts.

**Take Away:** It can be difficult to anticipate all possible scenarios when planning for success. However, developing strategic leadership skills will place you in the best position to account for roadblocks that may hinder your pursuit of achievement.

"Strategy without leadership goes nowhere; leadership without strategy has nowhere to go." – C. L. Harshman, executive coach.
