The Strategic Thinker
What personal leadership characteristics, traits and/or skills are important to strategic thinking?
From the reading the traits described are: curiosity, flexibility, future focus, positive outlook, openness, and breadth. I believe of these traits the two most important for a stratgic thinker are future focus (being a visionary) and a combination of openness and a positive outlook.
Being a visionary means a person is willing to look beyond today and without being open to new ideas and keeping a positive outlook it is difficult to see what may lie ahead.
Program development comes to mind. In a career college keeping the status quo curriculum nay be the safe thing to do however, if the school does not look into the future and train students for future jobs, there will be no hiring and eventually no students.
Rebecca,
I think you have identified a couple of really key points. In the career college sector I agree that we have to remain one step ahead. The balance for leaders in any industry is to have the capacity to balance both short term and long term objectives. To much of a focus on one over the other typically leads to problems. I also agree that creating a positive organizational culture through positive and collaborative leadership is essential in today's organizations. This provides the energy, enthusiasm and willingness to try new things to continually improve the organization and also provides the empowerment and involvement that most people desire in their work.
How do you balance meeting the short term objectives in your work while still keeping an eye towards the future? Do you face any challenges in maintaining this balance?
How do you balance meeting the short term objectives in your work while still keeping an eye towards the future? Do you face any challenges in maintaining this balance?
That's a good question and one that I haven't figured out. It is sometimes hard for me to maintain the balance because I believe I am a visionary and it's had for me to wait sometimes.
It would seem that trying to create balance comes with time and experience.
Rebecca,
I think you are right. The one thing I always try to keep in the back of my mind is that many businesses have failed because they were focused almost solely on short term financial gains. At the same time, many organizations have failed because they were so focused on the long term that they failed produce short term results required of a viable organization. Leadership that balances the two appears through research to support sustainable success.
Nice work in this class!
Thanks Dr. Faulkner, I relly enjoyed the class.
I read an article yesterday in Faculty Focus that reinforced the concepts I learned in class. The article discussed the transition from educator to adminsistrator and mentioned the management of micromanagers and snails, tied in perfectly with this class.
I'm also 12 weeks away from recieving my master's from Univeristy of Phoenix and the class I'm currently in, the role of faculty discusss some of the same issue, balancing innovation and adhereing to policies and procedures.
It all ties together doesn't it? Balance is the key term.
Rebecca
I believe that being a person of vision as well as thinking creatively are of the utmost importance. This is especially true with increased competition, economic changes in the country, and the ever changing dynamics within the industries career schools serve. The changes in loan default prevention regulations have made this course a very timely subject. Schools are now faced with maintaining enrollment and yet staying focused on a three year window, thus always looking forward.
Kelly,
I think you are correct. We are dealing with a unique time in higher education. On one hand we are seeing significant enrollment growth across higher ed that is running counter cyclical to the troubled economy. On the other hand we are seeing increased regulation and significant changes. Leadership in higher ed today requires a unique balance of managing growth and as well as adapting policies, procedures and processes to align with changing regulations. This will require all of us to "think outside the box" in how we adapt to these trends. In addition to the vision and creativity that you have identified I think another key to successful leaders is the ability to move from idea (or concept) to execution. Things are changing rapidly and those leaders with the ability to lead the execution and implementation of great ideas are highly valued. What is your position with your institution and what are your most significant challenges?
Dr. Faulkner
My challenges are many. I am the Director of Admissions for two campuses, handle all of the marketing, and I am the Assistant Director of one of the campuses. I tell people all the time that I am a Lucy episode. The hotel manager, the sheriff, the mayor etc..... I am also known as the eternal optimist so I constantly think of what's ahead. Gaining consensus and buy-in from all involved parties is a major challenge. We also have 130+ schools in the DFW area so staying aware of their programs and marketing efforts is also a major challenge.
Kelly,
Sounds like you have a tremendous amount on your plate and are highly valued! Gaining consensus and buy in is a major challenge when you are moving quickly on a number of fronts. I think a dynamic strategic planning process is becoming increasingly important in ensuring everyone is moving toward the same "north star" in a rapidly changing environment. I think this course will be helpful to you.
Dr. Faulkner
I believe courage and alignment are additional traits not mentioned that must be excersized during the strategic thinking process. When presenting to leadership, your ability/courage to discuss or ask the difficult questions will hopefully provide the necessary insite on which tactical direction to pursue. We often think we know what they want to hear so we choose that path when we should of been thinking outside the box. Certainly alignment of organizational goals is another trait that must prevail as this surely supports the companys purpose or mission. In many cases (not all), your stategic thinking process/direction should act as a support not as a new initative.
Wayne,
I think that you bring up a couple of very good points. "Confronting Reality" is important if organizations are going to remain viable and continue to improve. At times it does take courage to stand up and state what the current reality really is (many times others intuitively feel the same thing but are afraid to say because it might disrupt the status quo). Organizations that create a culture that allows openness in saying what needs to be said even though it may not be popular, tend to adapt and change much more effectively.
Alignment with the mission of the organization is critical as well. How often do you think the mission of an organization should be reviewed and how do you ensure the strategies of the organization are aligned with the mission?
Dr. Faulkner
I feel to be a strategic thinker you need to be able to view items from a different angle, or approach. Sometimes we tend to be rigid in the way we are. If you take a step back and view your organization from a higher level, you can see some opportunities that you may not have seen before.
Jared,
Excellent point. Sometimes we can't see the forest through the trees! Research on effective leaders shows that they tend to think and see things one abstract level above the people that report to them. Stepping back and looking holistically at a problem or opportunity and taking into account different perspectives is essential to good leadership. Taking the time to reflect as a leader is a challenge sometime when we get so caught up in the daily grind. However, strategic thinking requires time to do just that. Do you have an example of a situation you have dealt with recently where you did this?
Dr. Faulkner
Personal leadership characteristics, traits, and or skills that are important to strategic thinking are: integrity, commitment, confidnece, determination, and honesty.
Adela,
Good list of characteristics! Any others?
I believe it is very important to have the ability to look at situations and processes from an analytical point of view. Knowing what people, departments, and company values/goals will be impacted by a decision is a key component of strategic thinking. Becomming a global thinker is key to strategic thinking. Also of great value is the ability to question the status quo; why are we doing it this way, is there a better more efficient way of doing this? Most of us have found we are performing tasks because "that is the way it has always been done".
Daniel,
Very good points. Thinking one abstract level beyond those you are leading is critical for a strategic leader. I think your point regarding thinking globally about a decision and all the constituents it may impact is critical to strategic leadership. It is a trait that many folks don't innately possess and I find that it is one that has to be fostered and developed within emerging leaders.
I believe to be a great strategic thinker takes time and confidence. Looking at some of the traits mentioned in this course and you will find some of these come with time. Seeing into the future of a company and being able to invision what little to nobody else can is a trait not many have. Confidence is a trait that comes also with time and success. Education can only help build on a lot of these traits and in the long one help a person become a great strategic thinker.
Nathan,
I think confidence and trusting your intuition are traits that strategic thinkers typically possess. I also agree with you that really understanding the business you are in and taking time to continually learn more about the internal and external environment are essential to effective strategic thinking. However, I have seen many highly committed young leaders that have become very effective strategic thinkers because they committed themselves to doing these little things continually that provided the foundation for their strategic thinking. So although I agree experience helps broaden and deepen our strategic thinking, I think some develop this capacity quicker then others because they commit themselves to spend the time necessary.
Dr. Blake Faulkner
