2. Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast
During my time at the United States Air Force Academy, I was an exchange cadet to the United States Military Academy at West Point. Imagine a blue uniform in a sea of gray. It was an incredible year, and I even made it through the spirit week leading up to the Air Force-Army football game. I distinctly recall waking up at 2 AM to an alarm clock padlocked under my bed. The prank was short-lived as my West Point roommate swiftly located the culprits and expressed her displeasure.
This exchange program was a formative experience for me on the importance of culture. I quickly learned that while the two Service Academies share a desire to grow leaders of character to serve our Nation, they also have very distinct cultures. Each with its own benefits and drawbacks. Take, for example, the time I was reprimanded for walking to the restroom at 11 PM with my shirt untucked. I was, indeed, out of uniform. So, it was a good reminder for me to do the right thing even when no one is looking.
Over the years, this experience has informed my approach to developing strategies for executives across industries. I’ve seen that you can have the best strategy in the world but if the culture doesn’t exist to support it then it’s likely to fail. So how can executives position for success?
Three ways come to mind:
Leadership – A strong executive to champion the strategy and articulate the “why” is critical. Is there a second team of leaders who understand and believe in the strategy to cascade it across the business? Are the right stakeholders with diverse perspectives included throughout the process? Is communication clear, concise, and consistent?
Anchor – For a strategy to “stick”, it needs to anchor within the business. Does the organization have the right people, processes, and technology to implement the strategy moving forward? Is training needed? Infrastructure changes? Something else?
Manage, Measure, and Mature – What gets measured gets done. Is leadership consistently working towards the articulated strategy? Is there a visible dashboard to ensure everyone is aligned? Are individual goals tied to the overarching goals of the business?
What has worked well for you in the past? What is one action you can take today to position for success?
I help executives reclaim valuable time to focus on what matters most. This means leaders work ON the business instead of IN the business. Whether it's a 10-year vision, 3–5 year strategy, or 90-day action plan - we partner to achieve your goals.
If you want to break through to the next level in your business, drop me a message, and we'll arrange a 15-min call to see if I can help.
Be well.
~Susan
