Strategic LeadershipLinda J. Nolte, MA, CMC, RODCJanuary 2014An overview for Human Resource Professionals

1What do you think?If you were the owner, president, CEO, founder, manager/director of an organization and you realized that your staff members were not supporting your direction, what would you do?

If you were the key HR liaison for this person, what kind of support would you offer?

2LeadershipWhat words do you think of? Best/worst leader?Defining leadership is similar to nailing a custard pie to the wall

3Poor Leadership is an Oxymoron

4Assumptions about LeadershipThat leadership is A special rarified state of beingIndependent of personal successConferred on a chosen few

5Interdependence

6What does it take to get followers? It depends

On what?

What followers are seeking compared to/matched with what you offer and provide

7Leaders: Born or Made?Proliferation of books, seminars, classes, workshops, degrees, etc. on leadershipLots of money to be made in the leadership industryMyths and Realities

8What do you think?

9Strategic LeadershipArticulates and Promotes the vision and long term directionMay not be the sole creator, but might be!Cheerleader and Drill team

10What is Strategy?

1. A method or plan chosen to bring about a desired future, such as achievement of a goal or solution to a problem.

2. The art and science of planning and marshalling resources for their most efficient and effective use.

The term is derived from the Greek word for generalship or leading an army. 11What is strategy?

Project-based to support goals also can be similar to tactics.12What do we mean by strategic? Strategy upper case?strategy lower case?ContextIntentIntra vs. Inter organizationalCommunityVolunteerPublic SectorPrivate SectorUSA or International?

13Strategy

14Strategy

15Strategy

16The Literature:Hart: studied ancient Greeks through WWII the art if distributing and applying military means to fulfill the ends of policy

Moltke: Distributing and applying military means to fulfill the ends of policy.

17The LiteratureMintzbergStrategy is a plan, a "how," a means of getting from here to there.Strategy is a pattern in actions over time; for example, a company that regularly markets very expensive products is using a "high end" strategy.Strategy is position; that is, it reflects decisions to offer particular products or services in particular markets.Strategy is perspective, that is, vision and direction.

18The LiteratureKenneth Andrews"Corporate strategy is the pattern of decisions in a company

Treacy and WiersemaNarrowing, not broadeningthree "value-disciplines" that can serve as the basis for strategy: operational excellence, customer intimacy, and product leadership

19The LiteraturePorterAbout being differentUnique value mixCompetitive viewKepner TregoeFramework guiding choices9 factors but single driving forceMatter of perspectiveRobertThink and manage strategically4 decisions10 possibilities for a driving force

20Tregoe and Zimmerman urge executives to base these decisions on a single "driving force" of the business. Although there are nine possible driving forces, only one can serve as the basis for strategy for a given business. The nine possibilities are listed below:Products offeredProduction capabilityNatural resourcesMarket needsMethod of saleSize/growthTechnologyMethod of distributionReturn/profitMichel Robert takes a similar view of strategy in, Strategy Pure & Simple [8], where he argues that the real issues are "strategic management" and "thinking strategically." For Robert, this boils down to decisions pertaining to four factors:Products and servicesMarket segmentsCustomersGeographic areasLike Tregoe and Zimmerman, Robert claims that decisions about which products and services to offer, the customers to be served, the market segments in which to operate, and the geographic areas of operations should be made on the basis of a single "driving force." Again, like Tregoe and Zimmerman, Robert claims that several possible driving forces exist but only one can be the basis for strategy. The 10 driving forces cited by Robert areProduct-serviceSales-marketing methodUser-customerDistribution methodMarket typeNatural resourcesProduction capacity-capabilitySize/growthTechnologyReturn/profitThe Literature:George Steiner:that which top management does that is of great importance to the organizationrefers to basic directional decisions, that is, to purposes and missionsconsists of the important actions necessary to realize these directionsanswers the question: What should the organization be doing?answers the question: What are the ends we seek and how should we achieve them?

22The Decisions are the same:

The choices between and among products and services, customers and markets, distribution channels, technologies, pricing, and geographic operations, etc.

What is required is a structured, disciplined, systematic way of making these decisions.

Options"driving forces" value disciplines" "value-chain analysis

All three as a system of cross-checks23The Practical Question: How?How does one determine, articulate and communicate company-wide ends? How does one ensure understanding and obtain commitment to these ends?

24Strategy and strategyConfused yet?How would YOU differentiate?

25Elements of Leadership StrategyValuesVisionMissionGoals

26Elements of Leadership StrategyValuesNon-negotiable tenets which influence how you are willing to work/live/volunteer.

27Elements of Leadership StrategyVision :What we want vs. what we want to avoid

28Elements of Leadership StrategyMission

29Elements of Leadership StrategyMission

Guided by relentless focus on our five imperatives, we will constantly strive to implement the critical initiatives required to achieve our vision. In doing this, we will deliver operational excellence in every corner of the Company and meet or exceed our commitments to the many constituencies we serve. All of our long-term strategies and short-term actions will be molded by a set of core values that are shared by each and every associate.

30In what order?

Values/Vision firstMissionGoals

31Elements of Leadership StrategyGoalsState the desired goalLong-term goalsShort-term goalsWhat does success look like?

32Goals and Objectives: 2014 Annualized$5M in gross sales 15% net profit Less than 2% involuntary turnover in staffGrow new customer base by at least 15% Increase sales to existing customers by at least 23%Survey results = 95% positive staff satisfactionFewer than 1% safety incidents

33Goal Alignment

34Terms to Confuse and AbuseTacticsTasksStrategies vs. strategiesStepsProcessesJob DescriptionsJob AidsInstructionsTargetsOutcomes

35Process Model for Strategy Development

36Why this works!

37Lets try a few examples:

38Smalltown Community GardensValues: eliminating hunger, erasing loneliness, building self-sufficient skills Vision: Nobody in Smalltown, OR is hungry or lonely, unless by choiceMission: Develop many gardens where citizens gather to produce and share healthy fruits and vegetables and build supportive relationships

39Smalltown Community GardensValues: we all include and help each otherVision: Everyone in Smalltown, OR has access to, healthy food, supportive friendships, and empowermentMission: Develop many gardens where citizens gather to produce and share healthy fruits and vegetables and be involved in mutually-supportive relationships

40Smalltown Community GardensStrategic Intent:

Smalltown is a safe, sustainable place to live and thrive everyone wants to live here and no one wants to leave!

41Smalltown Community GardensGoals: Acquire one location per square mileDesignate one coordinator per garden Identify participants for each gardenTacticsLayout and prepare each gardenSelect and plant Maintain Harvest

42Smalltown Community GardensQuestions?How would we sell such a vision? Who will directly engage? Master GardenersLand OwnersExisting producing gardens and farms?Swap volunteer labor for food?Other groups that have a related vision/mission around hunger, loneliness, self-sufficiencyOutreach?

43What Pulls Me?All organizations can be excellent! Knowledge and skills exist to make it so!Together we can make excellence the norm!

44XXX ConsultingValuesVisionMissionStrategy GoalsTactics

45XXX ConsultingStrategy VisionTactics MissionGoals Values

Doing things the right way; calling out the elephant in the room. All organizations are healthy and profitable; they contribute generously to their communities. A better world! Ask for referrals and leads to like-minded professionalsTo consult so that all organizations are led by those who understand organizational behavior and how to balance human, financial, and physical resources within and without their communities. Share knowledge and experience with HR professionals and support HR professionals in fostering organizational effectiveness and leadership. Networking, teaching, consulting and presenting on areas of interest and necessityComplete at least one meaningful contact per month and share my VVMSGT

46Failure of LeadershipStrategic Leadership is redundantPoor Leadership is an oxymoron

47Fitting it Together

48The Point!This is not about what to think, or the one right answer but about how to think about the best answer for your organization at this time.HR professionals are well-trained and clearly a group of life-long learners The best answer today may not be the best answer tomorrowBUT the principles remain constant.

49Questions?

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