Leading With Strategic Thinking: Four Ways Effective Leaders Gain Insight, Drive Change, And Get Results

Leading with Strategic Thinking helps you discover your personal strengths, and how they can be leveraged into a uniquely effective leadership style that drives strategy and improves outcomes. Eschewing the one-size-fits-all leadership model, this helpful guide outlines four general leadership styles and demonstrates how each style achieves success – whether through personal vision, structured processes, collaboration, or by empowering others. By exploring the multitude of factors that contribute to effective strategic planning and execution, this practical guide provides actionable advice and tools including checklists, templates, and more. Examples and case studies illustrate these concepts in action, and the provided reference materials steer readers toward more advanced information on this important topic.

Increasing complexity throughout the world and within organizations raises new challenges for leaders charged with forming and executing strategy. The most effective leaders address this complexity in a way that consciously integrates environmental requirements, stakeholder expectations, and personal ability, and this book is a manual for leveraging your leadership style to achieve these optimal outcomes.

• Discover the four types of strategic leadership
• Uncover your personal leadership style
• Integrate multiple expectations to sustainably drive strategy
• Overcome challenges with practical tools and techniques

Becoming a great leader isn't about mimicking an icon, or shaping yourself into someone else. It's about knowing your strengths, and building upon them to approach challenges from your unique perspective, to drive strategy in a way that only you can. Leading with Strategic Thinking shows you how, and gives you the tools you need to start now.

AARON K. OLSON is Chief Talent Officer at Aon, a worldwide leader in risk management and human resource solutions. Aaron is on the Faculty of Northwestern University's School of Education and Social Policy.

B. KEITH SIMERSON helps private- and public-sector organizations develop strategic plans and provides consultation, executive coaching, and leadership development. B.K. is on the Faculty of Northwestern University's School of Education and Social Policy.