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Strategic Leadership Program

A Strategy program that helps develop better leaders

CEOs and senior leaders understand that strategy, productivity and leadership are intrinsically linked. Productivity is driven by aligning activity to organisational strategy, and this requires leaders who know where their organisation is and where it’s going.

The strategic leaders program is designed to build strategic awareness in senior and mid-level leaders so they can operate effectively and lead their teams through change.

The thinking behind the program

True leadership has never been harder. Operating environments are more dynamic, strategic risks are more pronounced, and the path forward is less certain. In this environment, the ability for an individual leader to identify, understand, and respond to change has become increasingly difficult.

Developing leaders with the capability ‘to see the big picture’ matters now more than ever. But learning and big picture thinking shouldn’t be done in isolation, it needs to be aligned to core activities in the business cycle. Rather than a leadership program that improves strategic outcomes, what is needed is a  strategy program that results in more capable and aware leaders.

The Challenges

Leaders are overwhelmed

Much of the challenge for modern leaders stems from the sheer pace and complexity of change. We are awash with information, shifting expectations and competing priorities. In this environment it’s become increasingly difficult to distil what truly matters.

Left unchecked, this uncertainty is driving leaders to fight fires, micro-manage and focus on short term problems rather than moving forward on strategically important initiatives.

Decision-making is more reactive

Overwhelm and constant pressure are also pushing decision-making to be increasingly reactive. Leaders focus on what demands attention now, rather than what will matter most tomorrow. Choices are made quickly with incomplete information and without consideration of broader impacts.

This reactive decision making cycle also tends to be self-reinforcing: the more leaders respond to immediate pressures, the less capacity they have to step back, anticipate risk and consider other strategic options. 

There is a lack of strategic alignment

Reactive decision-making at the individual level has organisational consequences. When leaders and teams respond in isolation, without a shared understanding of priorities or context, effort is duplicated, initiatives conflict and resources are wasted. This is amplified for organisations operating in volatile and high growth sectors of the economy.

If time isn’t put aside for developing and maintaining a level of shared understanding, leaders may be operating with the best of intentions but in a way that is entirely out of sync with the rest of the organisation.

People are being coached, not led

Most leadership programs focus on developing the people skills that leaders need, such as coaching, feedback, and providing psychological safety. These are important, but they are only half the equation.

Leadership is an active process of moving your people forward. This requires a clear understanding of the future you aspire to and the direction you need to head to get there. Without a strategic perspective, you may have managers that are capable, but still lack the leadership required to inspire their teams toward meaningful outcomes. 

A Strategy Driven Leadership Program

Addressing these challenges requires more than ad-hoc workshops and one-off training initiatives. It requires a structured, long-term approach that acknowledges your existing business cycle. The Strategic Leaders Program is designed to align professional development into the natural rhythm of your organisation such budgeting, planning, and other key forward focused events.

By working alongside three to four key strategic moments in the year, we give leaders the time and space to step back, reflect, and apply strategic thinking where it can have immediate impact. This “learn by doing” approach ensures interventions are practical, memorable, and directly tied to organisational outcomes.

Although a key outcome of the program is to develop more strategic leaders, the real goal is to create a structural and enduring response to short-term thinking inside organisations.

Program Design

The Strategic Leaders Program takes place over 9–12 months and combines three to four high-impact in-person workshops with supporting initiatives designed to maintain momentum and embed learning. Workshops are strategically timed to coincide with the organisation’s key planning and decision points, ensuring that insights are immediately applicable and actionable.

Supporting elements can include the development of custom future scenarios, online masterclasses, small group or one-on-one coaching, and targeted communications to reinforce key concepts. This multi-layered approach turns learning into action and ensures leaders build and maintain a level of strategic awareness across the organisation.

If you’d like to support your leaders to feel less overwhelmed, operate with greater clarity, and at the same time drive long term organisational performance, the Strategic Leaders Program might just be what you’re looking for. If you’d like to find out more, please get in touch.

Some of the brands Simon has inspired

Simon’s client base includes a range or public, private and purpose driven organisations.

Enquiry form

If you’d like to find out more about The Power of Being Strategic Workshop for in house delivery, or want to know about upcoming public workshop dates, fill out the form below or call 1300 66 55 85  (within Australia).

Work With Simon

If you’re considering engaging Simon please reach out to book a to chat. You can do this by filling out the form below, contacting Sarah at 1300 66 55 85 (within Australia), or emailing her at sa***@*************om.au. If it’s for a speaking engagement please provide the event date and any information that might be helpful.

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