Strategic planning is typicallty an isolated process that might happen once or twice per year. By contrast, a true strategic leader thinks and acts strategically every day.

Strategic thinkers take a broad, long-range approach to problem-solving and decision-making that involves objective analysis, thinking ahead, and planning. That means being able to think in multiple time frames, identifying what they are trying to accomplish over time and what has to happen now, in six months, in a year, in three years, to get there. It also means thinking systemically. That is, identifying the impact of their decisions on various segments of the organization—including internal departments, personnel, suppliers and customers.

In this context, it’s critically important to make time to reflect before making decisions. What is involved? Who is involved? What is at stake? What is the opportunity and what are the risks?  What at first seems like an opportunity might reveal significant risk and what seemed risky at first might reveal a significant opportunity.

Relationships are strategic too. Strategic people see the world as a web of interconnected ideas and people and they find opportunities to advance their interests at those connection points.

It also requires the ability and willingness to make choices. Closing one door in favor of another requires the courage to take action (for which you could later be blamed) and confidence to abandon an alternative (which could be a missed opportunity). You will be seen as more strategic if you take action and course-correct than if you choose to stagnate and doing nothing or stall from trying to do everything.

Summing-up: Being more strategic means that you put the smallest decision in the context of the organization’s broader goals. Strategic Thinking is thinking about the future.