When Is Strategy Useless?

Culture Eats Strategy For Breakfast

I spend a considerable amount of my time not just advising organizations on strategy but ensuring the execution of those plans. I can spend days with leaders creating one-page strategic plans but if that team does not have the capacity to execute, it becomes a useless exercise. You and your team’s capacity to implement must increase.

High Trust Culture Accelerates Execution

Developing a high-trust culture is the one thing that increases execution of your strategy. Trust is the foundation of all relationships. Because business is simply people doing transactions, it’s the hidden element of trust that increases the speed of those exchanges. When trust is high, teams communicate quicker, collaborate better, innovate more, and do business faster and more efficiently. With high trust you can attract and retain great people and increase engagement. A high trust culture is the secret weapon that makes things happen.

The Give-Get Principle Increases Trust

Great leaders make the creation of trust one of their primary objectives. They actually grow trust on purpose. They don’t leave trust up to chance but are intentional in creating this environment. They are intentional about living the give-get principle. As a leader you have to give before you receive. The best way to obtain trust is to first give trust. Extending trust is the most compelling form of human motivation. When people feel your trust it unleashes their potential and multiples performance.

Great Leaders Give Trust First

Real leadership requires trust. While some leaders spend their energy trying to get their employees to trust them, great leaders first extend trust. The person in charge has to initiate this process. If you give trust, you’ll receive trust. This is true for respect, loyalty and all other virtues. Don’t wait for an employee to trust you before you’ll trust him or her. Be the leader and extend trust first.