The Art of Strategic Leadership: How Leaders at All Levels Prepare Themselves, Their Teams, and Organizations for the Future

THE FRAMEWORK EVERY LEADER CAN USE TO CREATE GREATER VALUE FOR AN ORGANIZATION

"The Art of Strategic Leadership is a practical look at strategy, which at times can be overcomplicated, or viewed as an abstract concept, by even the best leaders. This book is a highly recommended read for leaders at all levels of an organization. Strategic leadership is everyone′s business."
Tony I. Herrera, EdD, Chief Learning Officer, LPL Financial

"The book reminds us all that ′strategy′ is not the sole province of the CEO nor does good strategic thinking and implementation have to mean a revolutionary product or making the front page of the Wall Street Journal. Good strategic thinking is the logical extension of planning your work and working your plan."
Jim Wilcox, former EVP and COO, Sauer Danfoss

"If you want to know how to be a strategic change agent, you need to read The Art of Strategic Leadership. Until I read this book, I really didn′t understand that strategy is fundamentally an inside–out process. In order to succeed with any strategic priority or initiative, you have to look in the mirror and make sure you are equipped for the journey ahead."
Bill Rupp, President and COO, JBS USA Beef

Acknowledgments vii

Preface ix

What You ll Find in This Book x

How to Use This Book xi

Chapter 1 Introduction 1

So, What Is It? 4

Why Does It Matter? 5

How You Can Use It 9

Chapter 2 The Business 11

Chapter 3 The Leader 19

Chapter 4 The Team 29

Chapter 5 Alex s Journey Begins 37

Chapter 6 The Art of Ownership 45

The Story: Robert 47

Ownership Close–Up 53

Chapter 7 The Art of Tenacity 63

The Story: Mya 65

Tenacity Close–Up 70

The Tenacity Formula 75

Mastering Tenacity 78

Chapter 8 The Art of Risk 79

The Story: Jordan 81

Risk Close–Up 87

Stepping Up 94

A Note About Failure 96

Chapter 9 The Art of Agility 99

The Story: Kim 101

Agility Close–Up 105

Your Flex–Agility 114

Chapter 10 The Art of Awareness 117

The Story: Lu 119

Awareness Close–Up 124

What It All Means 130

Chapter 11 The Art of Driving Change 133

The Story: Sara 135

Driving Change Close–Up 140

Chapter 12 The Art of Vision 149

The Story: Alex 151

Vision Close–Up 156

What Visionary Leaders Do 160

Chapter 13 The Art of Strategic Leadership 165

The Rest of the Story 167

The Future Starts Here and Now 176

Connect and Continue the Journey 181

About the Authors 183

Products and Services Available 185

Index 187

STEVEN J. STOWELL, PHD, is founder and president of the Center for Management and Organization Effectiveness (CMOE). He has consulted with small and large corporations, government agencies, school systems, and non–profits worldwide and designed and developed instructional course content for dozens of leadership and management topics.

STEPHANIE S. MEAD, MBA, is the senior vice president of CMOE. During her eighteen years at CMOE, she has collaborated on writing and developing numerous leadership– development programs for the world′s leading organizations.