I once worked with a CEO who carried the strategy document like a Bible, only it never left his briefcase.
It was during a quarterly strategy review. The boardroom was stiff with tension, directors shifting uncomfortably as the numbers were projected on the wall: missed revenue by 22%, customer churn up 18%, staff turnover at an all-time high.
The CEO, unfazed, reached into his leather briefcase and pulled out the strategy document with a reverent smile. Thick, glossy, and laminated tabs. He opened it like a sacred scroll and began to read.
“According to page 17 of our strategic priorities, pillar three outlines stakeholder engagement as a critical enabler…”
His voice echoed with authority. Heads nodded politely. But no one was moved. That is when I leaned forward, just enough to slice the moment open.
“May I ask,” I said, quiet enough for only the board to hear but sharp enough to pierce the air,
“When did you last act on that strategy, without opening the file?”
The room fell still. He paused mid-sentence, looked at me, then down at the document in his hands. Silence and even the air conditioning seemed to stop.
That was the moment it clicked, not just for him, but for the whole board. They realised strategy had become a performance, not a practice.
And that is why the numbers were bleeding. The strategy was a script. But no one was rehearsing the role.
He paused. That is the problem. Strategy is treated like a seasonal event. A glossy PDF. A one-day retreat. It is discussed, debated, and then shelved.
“Strategy is what you do when no one is watching.”
Strategy is not a document. It is a daily choice. A habit and a discipline.
a) If your receptionist does not know the top three priorities of the company, you do not have strategy execution. You have wishful thinking.
b) If every department cannot link its daily tasks to one of the Wildly Important Goals (WIGs), then you are busy, not strategic.
c) If your leadership team needs to be reminded about what matters most, you are not leading. You are administrating.
In one assignment, I challenged the executive team to remove “strategy” from their files and put it on their walls. Literally. We posted the WIGs in every room. Every meeting began with an update on what we did today that moved the needle. We removed “AOB” from meeting agendas. We removed confusion from people’s minds.
Within 60 days, clarity returned. Within 90, so did profits.
Here is the truth most consultants will never tell you:
You do not need a new strategy. You need new habits.
Start with a 15-minute daily huddle. One question: What did you do yesterday to move the strategy forward?
That one ritual will expose culture rot, execution gaps, and leadership silos faster than any strategic plan ever could.
Strategy is what you do when no one is watching.
So the next time someone asks for your strategy document, give them a mirror instead.
I am Mr Strategy. I do not help you write a strategy. I help you live it.
If your team is stuck in strategy files and forgotten goals, invite us for a Strategy Habits Audit. Let us turn your good ideas into daily wins.
