What senior leaders should demand from strategy
Don't keep your options open.
Senior leaders should demand explanation, not aspiration.
A serious strategy should make clear which external forces matter most, what choices follow from that assessment, and which capabilities must be built or abandoned as a result.
If these links are missing, the strategy is incomplete regardless of how compelling it sounds.
What leaders should not accept is a strategy that promises flexibility that avoids commitment. That is not ‘keeping your options open’. It is deferred decision-making.
The role of strategy is to make hard choices.
Had this conversation yesterday with a potential new client:
“Everyone can use what we offer…”
Oh boy…
“there are 4 of you”
Strategy is a stepwise progression of picking your battles, planting a flag and moving forward.
I worked with this client 5 years ago. They are the same size as when I left and did not implement a single thing I said.
I think they are listening now.
This framework hits differently when you're a new manager facing your first hard choice: who gets the promotion, which project gets resources, which team member needs a tough conversation.
"Keeping options open" feels safe. Making the hard choice feels risky.
But your team can't execute on ambiguity. They need you to decide what matters, even when you're not 100% certain.
The transition from IC to manager is learning that clarity beats certainty.