“You’re doing great work, but you need to be more strategic.”
January has a way of gently nudging us to take stock. You look back at everything you delivered last year—and still hear that familiar feedback.
If that’s landed with you before, you’re not alone.
I’ve consistently heard this from clients, and even newly promoted senior leaders spend more time in the tactical weeds than they intend to.
The uncomfortable truth? A promotion creates the potential for strategic thinking—but it doesn’t automatically open up the space to operate that way.
Many high performers get stuck here. Early in your career, being deeply involved and execution-focused is a strength. You build trust by delivering.
But as roles get more senior, expectations shift. Leaders are trusted less for how much they do and more for their strategic thinking skills—how they prioritize, make tradeoffs, and help others see the bigger picture.
I worked with a growth marketing leader known for flawless execution. Campaigns launched on time. Metrics looked strong. Yet she wasn’t consistently invited into leadership strategy conversations. When we unpacked why, it became clear: she was being seen as an excellent executor of strategy—not a shaper of it.
She didn’t ask for more strategic space. She modeled it first.
Instead of reporting metrics alone, she reframed updates around business impact and choices: which audiences to double down on, which channels to deprioritize, and what those decisions meant for growth.
Over time, leadership started pulling her into earlier planning discussions. She’s put big-picture thinking into practice.
I saw a similar shift with a finance director who was respected for clean reporting but undervalued for big-picture, systems thinking. Once he connected the numbers to future scenarios—emerging risks, investment tradeoffs, and longer-term implications—he became a trusted strategic advisor.
As you start the new year, what shifts will you make to operate at the right altitude?
Three ways to practice this in Q1:
1️⃣ Protect time on your calendar to scan trends, risks, and spot opportunities to shape cross-functional initiatives that create impact.
2️⃣ Redefine expectations with your boss – what do you need from them to feel empowered to step up?
3️⃣ What will you delegate and let your team fully own?
Food for reflection:
🍂What old success habits have kept you stuck in the weeds?
🌳What small, intentional shifts will you make to practice strategic leadership?
