LEADING STRATEGICALLY
by
Lesley Willcoxson
19/05/00
Abstract
Mirroring writing about leadership in general, writing about strategic leadership tends to focus either upon describing the personal traits and behaviours associated with effective leadership, or upon the planning and organising role that underpins effective implementation of strategy. In this paper it is argued that strategic leadership occurs when the leader is able to integrate insights into the strategic choices available to an organization with those interpersonal skills which promote the development of others’ competencies and capacities for leadership. Strategic leaders are information seekers and relationship builders, but they are also keenly aware of the internal and external context. They observe and interpret the actual and potential environment within which the organisation operates, they become fully aware of their organisation’s human and technological competencies, and they build structures, processes and relationships that will serve to maximise the current effectiveness and future adaptability of the organisation.
