To Be a Strategic Leader, Be Agile and Consistent at the Same Time
Bonnie Low-Kramen
Award-winning trainer of C-Suite Assistants | TEDx Speaker | 2023/24 Top 100 Global HR Influencer | Bestselling Author | 32K+ followers | Movie lover | 1st job fitting kids' shoes | bonnie@bonnielowkramen.com
By John Coleman | Harvard Business Review | April 3, 2017
The best leaders are able to execute the core of their business while remaining open to trends in the market and adapting to meet them. Being strategic in this way requires that you balance two traits. The first is consistency: Work hard and show up on time. Set goals for yourself and your employees, and then achieve them. You also need the second trait, agility: Be intellectually curious, ready to learn from others, communicative, and collaborative. But just as consistency can turn into rigidity, agility can become a lack of focus when it isn’t tempered. So aim for a balance. Have high-quality standards, but also be open to change and understand when old ways of working no longer serve you or your company.
Adapted from “The Best Strategic Leaders Balance Agility and Consistency,” by John Coleman