Modern industries, work-places, managerial settings, corporations and organisational tasks have become quite complex and challenging. Optimizing workflows, resources and corporational personnel amidst this challenging environment requires great leadership at the top-level. Organizations have realized the need for leaders who can inspire, empower and lead the corporate’s staff to achieve objectives and milestones.

There’s a tremendous amount of strategic processes, thinking, planning, and other critical components that undergo while managing and leading employers in the current scenarios. Therefore, there has been a high demand for strategic leaders who can lead and take corporations forward. The plethora of online strategy programs provides practical insights about dealing with the strategic aspect of leadership and hone skills that form a vital part of elite-level leadership.

Strategic Leadership and the Importance of Vision

“Leaders establish the vision for the future and set the strategy for getting there.”

As mentioned earlier by John P. Cotter, the quote captivates the essence of strategic leadership’s potent tool- “vision“. Strategic leadership is resonant with setting up strategies methodologies, roping in technologies and staff that bring a leader’s vision into reality. This leadership style emphasises envisioning ideas, regulations, or practices to help the organisation in the long run and lay out a roadmap. The various essential components of strategic management and leadership have been built around creating a consistent vision and render mechanisms for bringing that vision or idea into practicality.

There are several other attributes apart from the vision that helps professionals model into successful strategic leaders. The reputable certifications provided by leading institutes today aim to develop the comprehensive capabilities, theoretical and practical knowledge, and skill-sets that leaders require in modern work-places. Among these certifications, the advanced program in strategic leadership from IIM Lucknow works closely with aspiring leaders to enhance their skill-sets.

Also Read: Understanding the Importance of Strategic Leadership

How to Develop Strategic Leadership Skills?

The increase in the relevance of strategic management in India and neighbouring countries has paved the way for an increase in strategic leaders’ demand. Performing a particular role requires a fine set of skills. The same goes for strategic leadership, and there are specific skills that help professionals stand out from their peers. However, before inculcating skill-sets, aspiring leaders need to develop these skills through correct protocols. Several online strategy courses aim at developing skills via the following measures:-

• Anticipating Forthcoming Challenges and Risks

A major part of the strategic leadership role is analysing and anticipating upcoming challenges, risks and other threats. Regular meetings with board members, senior-level executives, clients and other providers will help understand their difficulties and concerns. This gives a perspective on areas that need improvement and resources that can help in minimising those risks.

• Constantly Challenge their Tasks and Duties

Strategic leaders constantly challenge their own tasks and duties. Challenging requires bravery, understanding of corporate’s schemas and a balanced perspective over things. Taking feedback, discussing contrasting viewpoints and focusing on solving issues help challenge tasks and duties within a safe environment.

• Aligning Major Stakeholders for the Organisation

Strategic leaders act as mitigators between the company’s advisors and stakeholders. They facilitate proactive communication between these two parties and understand the concerns, wishes and demands of stakeholders. More often than not, leaders have to align the significant stakeholders as per the corporation’s mechanisms and systems.

Identifying prominent internal and external stakeholders, reaching out to third-parties and team positioning of competent associates helps align major stakeholders in the organisational structure.

As observed from the above mentioned skill-development protocols, strategic leaders need to be on their toes and welcome contrasting viewpoints, challenge their scheme of things and align third-parties with the corporational settings for maximising profits and leading firms towards growth. The advanced program in strategic leadership from IIM Lucknow works on furnishing the skill-sets that professionals will require in their job roles.

Leadership Skills Required While Developing Strategies

“The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one who does that gets the people to do the greatest things.”

As mentioned above by Ronald Reagen, the quote highlights the work-ethic of a leader and their ability in channelising employees’ potential towards achieving a common goal. Numerous online strategy courses endow professionals with skill-sets that can help them manage, lead and inspire their team-members successfully.

Some of the skills required for developing strategies include:-

• Delegation Skills

Strategic leaders know their staff members inside out and understand their talents, capabilities and potential. This comes in handy while delegating tasks for creating strategies. Leaders are like teachers who know about their student’s abilities, the same goes for assigning and distributing duties to team members.

For example, an organisational employee with an analytical background will be tasked with looking after the trends and practices that influence the market and others.

• Communication Skills

Communication is a significant part of any managerial and leadership role; the same goes for strategic leaders. They need to make sure that everybody including stakeholders and employees are on the same page while developing strategies and communicating their visions to employees and seniors comprehensively.

• Transparency and Loyalty

Leaders, meteors and coaches need to be transparent and honest in their approaches. Be it appreciating employees, providing positive criticism and solving an employee’s concerns; strategic leaders need to maintain transparency with their core group of team members.

Loyalty fosters non-judgemental communication, and transparency creates a trust factor with employees and leaders.

• Ability to Learn New Things

What makes a person as the leader of the group is her/her ability to stay ahead of their followers in terms of knowledge, understanding and other facets. Curiosity facilitates strategic leader’s ability to learn new things and accommodate them in the company’s procedures wherever possible.

• Posses the Tenacity to Work Under Pressure

It’s no surprise that “diamonds are created under pressure”, the same goes whole, leading the corporational schemas at the top-level. Strategic leaders work under tremendous pressure, strict deadlines and cross-functional teams to fabricate policies that reap profits. Therefore, facing and working under pressure is a key skill that strategic leaders must possess.

Lead your Company Towards Success

The skill-sets mentioned above go a long way in determining strategies’ success and help firms reach newer heights. Enrolling for online strategy programs such as the advanced program in strategic leadership from IIM Lucknow can help professionals transition into successful leaders.

More Information:

Advantages & Scope of the Strategic Management Course

Top 10 Career Strategies to get you ahead of the herd in 2022

Career Prospects & Job Opportunities after Strategic Management

Why is the Strategy Management & Leadership Program a Prerequisite for Success?