THE STRATEGIC LEADER’S DAILY PLAYBOOK

‘‘The secret of your success is determined by your daily agenda.’’ -John Maxwell

You’ve diagnosed the problem and even taken the first brave steps, but here’s what no one warns you about: Strategic leadership doesn’t stick if you treat it as a “sometimes” activity.

John Maxwell said, ‘‘Real, sustainable change doesn’t happen in a moment. It’s a process.’’ Think of it like this: you wouldn’t expect to get fit by working out once a month. Yet too many leaders treat strategy as a quarterly retreat or a glossy PowerPoint deck, something to revisit when the board demands it. The result? Teams default back to operational autopilot, and your bold vision gathers dust.

But what if you could incorporate strategic thinking into your daily rhythm, not as an extra task, but as the core driver of how you lead, decide, and prioritise.

Here is the playbook, three proven strategies to transform strategic intent into everyday action.

1. THE ‘‘TWO-QUESTION’’ FILTER FOR EVERY DECISION

In the 7 habits of highly effective people, Stephen R. Covey said, “The key is not to prioritise what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.’’ Operational leaders ask, “Does this solve today’s problem?” Strategic leaders add two questions to every conversation.

• What future does this decision assume? For example, when approving a new hire, ask yourself, are you staffing for yesterday’s workload or tomorrow’s opportunities?
• What doors does this close? Every “yes” to a short-term fix is a silent “no” to long-term reinvention.

Don’t just solve today’s problems, build tomorrow’s advantage. Discover how with the Maxwell DISC Assessment Here.

2. THE ‘‘1-3-’’ TIME REBELLION

Your calendar is a battlefield. Operational demands will colonise your time unless you fight back with ruthless intent.

Here’s the rule:

• 1 HOUR DAILY: Uninterrupted work on one future-focused priority, for example, prototyping a new service, analysing disruptors in your industry.
• 3 STRATEGIC CONVERSATIONS WEEKLY: Meetings focused solely on possibilities, not problems, e.g., How could AI automate 30% of our workflows?
• 5 ‘‘NO’S’’ FRIDAY: End your week by rejecting five reactive requests that don’t align with your 18-month vision. As Warren Buffett said, ‘‘The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything.’’ Delegate these to teams hungry for ownership.

3. THE “FUTURE-BACK’’ FEEDBACK LOOP

Most leaders assess performance based on past results, but Strategic leaders grade progress through a future lens. As John Dewey said in his book How We Think, “We do not learn from experience, we learn from reflecting on experience,” so rewrite the feedback framework:

• FOR YOURSELF: Did today’s decisions accelerate the vision or maintain the status quo?
• FOR YOUR TEAM: “What did you finish?’’ with “What did you learn about tomorrow’s opportunities?’’
• FOR STAKEHOLDERS: Shift updates from “Here’s what we did” to “Here’s what we’re becoming.”

The Truth No One Admits is that Strategy isn’t a plan, it’s a practice. And like any practice, mastery comes not from grand gestures but from daily, deliberate repetitions.

Strategic leaders don’t just ask, Does this solve today’s problem? They ask, What future does this create? Take the Maxwell DISC Assessment Here. to build tomorrow’s advantage today.

YOUR TURN: BUILD YOUR STRATEGIC CADENCE

This isn’t about working harder. It’s about rewiring how you work.

Experiment: for the next 7 days, start every morning by asking, What’s one action I can take today that my future self will thank me for? Write it down. Do it first.

Download our Authentic Leader 30-Day Challenge https://forms.gle/5WtboshxvenoRLwaA. to lock in these habits with peer accountability.

Still feel stuck in operational quicksand? Book a Discovery Call https://scheduler.zoom.us/grace-centre-for-growth-excellence/discovery-meeting. Let’s unearth the one leverage point that could 10x your impact.

Elevate your leadership at LIVE2LEAD 2025!
Join us in Kumasi on October 9th and in Accra on November 6th, where visionary leaders come together to share game-changing strategies. Build meaningful connections and develop the mindset that will empower your growth and success. Are you prepared to elevate your leadership journey? Discover more: HERE.

Come Along and Grow with Grace!

References:

Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

John Maxwell, Today Matters.

John Dewey, How We Think