Foreword

      If your goal is to become a powerful leader who fulfills her or his purpose, you will love this book.

      I was honored when Diana Thomas—a long-time student, facilitator, partner, and friend of the FranklinCovey team—asked if she could use a leadership analogy she heard from my late father, Dr. Stephen R. Covey, as the basis for a new strategic leadership model. When I found out Diana was going to turn that model into a leadership book she was coauthoring with Stacey Boyle, I became very intrigued by what they were up to.

      Diana is a highly sought-after visionary and strategic leadership coach; Stacey is an expert in analytics and evaluation, helping companies move the needle on important business measures. While they’re both accomplished professionals on their own, their unique partnership has the potential to teach strategic leadership in a way that’s practical and contextualized in today’s business environment—something that you don’t often find in leadership books.

      As I sat down to read their manuscript, I was struck by just how applicable the book would be for anybody who is coming into a leadership role. Diana and Stacey are giving you the complete picture here—everything from the personal attributes you need to help others perceive you as strategic to the time and prioritization techniques we have taught in our organization to the ways that leaders plan, execute, and show critical results.

      What this powerful pair has done in this book is similar to what I’ve attempted to do with the principles that underlie trust. Just as I’ve sought to help people see that trust is not merely a soft, social virtue, but rather a hard, economic driver that can be learned, Diana and Stacey have taken the vague, elusive advice of “be strategic” and made it into a practical, actionable set of skills that can become habits.

      This isn’t just a book for new leaders. There are many leaders who have been managing organizations for some time, others who perhaps have been passed over for promotions, and still others who are struggling to think strategically and connect their function’s activities to what matters most to the business. The latter have not developed what I call “TASKS”—the Talents, Attitudes, Skills, Knowledge, and Style to strategically affect people and results. Having spent much of my career working with leaders in the human resources space, I know they have unique challenges—and opportunities—when it comes to driving business results. Diana and Stacey grew up in that world, and what they share in this book is all the more valuable because it’s been time-tested in one of the more difficult disciplines to lead strategically.

      Core to my father’s and my personal leadership philosophies has been the importance of being strategic—of leaning your ladder against the right wall of success in work and life. This analogy used in Be More Strategic in Business is the backbone of what the authors identify as the six factors for strategic leadership. These factors are essential for anyone who needs to be more strategic in organizational contexts—public and private companies, non-profits, government, small business owners, entrepreneurs, and start-up founders. That’s because, no matter what type of organization you’re working in, you need to be able to look across the landscape of your jungle and ensure you’re focused on the things that will get the results your organization wants and needs to see.

      In my work helping leaders and organizations build trust, I’ve noticed that the lack of trust costs individuals and organizations dearly—what I call “Trust Taxes.” Similarly, if you are too tactical in your approach to understanding your business’ needs and providing solutions, your influence and career will be taxed or limited. Conversely, there are “Trust Dividends” that are earned when you wisely extend trust, increase your credibility, and behave in ways that inspire trust with your stakeholders. So it is that there are significant benefits when you intentionally choose to be strategic in your work of leadership and influence.

      I’m confident you will enjoy both the destination and the journey of becoming more strategic, and that developing this competency will increase your credibility and results as a leader. This wonderful book will show you how.

      Stephen M. R. Covey

      Author of The New York Times and #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller The Speed of Trust; former President & CEO, Covey Leadership Center