Leading with Strategic Thinking: Four Ways Effective Leaders Gain Insight, Drive Change, and Get Results

3Examples of Strategic Leadership

Having proposed a definition of strategic leadership and the four strategic leadership types, we will now review real-world case examples that address each one. The key actions we itemized in Chapter 2 came out of discussions with hundreds of individuals who helped us uncover and clarify our definitions. The examples we provide in this chapter stood out during that analysis, providing some of the most clear and compelling portraits of what strategic leadership looks like in action.

Four Examples

The following four stories feature leaders we know and with whom we have had the pleasure to work. As you'll see, they are each accomplished leaders in their own regard. They've made a real impact in their chosen profession or organization, and at times they've even had a larger impact on our world and society. Our working relationship with these leaders gave us an inside view to both what they've accomplished and the important choices they made regarding how they approached their work. More importantly, they are excellent examples of what real people do to lead strategically. In this regard, they aren't abstract. We've spent extensive time observing and talking with each of them, allowing us to present a detailed account of the key things they've done to get results. These leaders are also practical role models, and their stories provide useful examples of leadership decisions that scale. In our view, the things they've done are within the reach of ...