Strategic Leadership: Importance and Qualities of a Strategic Leader

Running head: STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP
Strategic Leadership
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1STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP
Strategy can be defined as a process or an effort that is made by individuals or team to
achieve long term goals and objectives. Strategies are essentially the blue print or the route map
of executing plans towards a particular destination (Slack, 2015).
Among the finest qualities that must be possessed by a leader, perhaps the most important
quality that a leader must possess is good strategic analysis. For a leader to be strategic it means
that a leader must have curiosity towards the changing aspects of the society and analyze how the
change in these aspects might impact on a particular organization or a business. Strategic leaders
must possess the quality to ask and answer disruptive questions. Arguments are the prime subject
of strategic analysis. A strategic leader maintains a balance within all the stakeholders and
balances the interests of all stakeholders like investors, customers and the employees of the
organization (Simsek, Heavey, & Fox, 2018).
Thus, to put simply, a leader possessing strategic quality must be capable to handle
adverse situation, look out for positive aspects in extreme pessimistic situations, must be aware
of personal strengths along with the strength and weakness of the team and identify the key
reasons that de-motivate employees. On a broader perspective, it can be said that the strategies
that a leader posses are turned into tactics by the leader to ensure the maximum benefit of the
employees. Amongst the most important qualities that a strategic leader must possess is loyalty
towards the company, judicious and unbiased use of power, having broadened outlook,
motivating employees, compassionate towards employees etc.
Leaders possessing strategic leading qualities are resource of any company. They are
hugely responsible for the growth and inflation of any organizational sectors (Rothaermel, 2015).
The contribution o0f the strategic leaders towards a business are as follows: