In the study of military strategy and history, grand strategy has been used to describe the overall coordination of strategies, tactics and resources in support of a military operation. Lately it has achieved recognition for its usefulness in business as this is a first step when looking at ways to co-ordinate multi-faceted strategies and multi-tiered operations. Your grand strategy will be your statement of strategic actions that come together into one purpose. It is about focusing not only on the processes, but also on the effort.
Note About The Grand Strategy
LeaderX knows their purpose, both personally and professionally, and uses it to fuel their fire. Whilst goals are important to them, the bigger purpose and vision is what occupies their minds and excites them. The targets become the short-term feedback mechanism to let them know if they are on track rather than becoming their reason for being.
WHAT’S YOUR BUSINESS PURPOSE?
Your purpose is something much deeper than a number. Your business was founded because someone at some point wanted to make a difference, to help others or to improve the world in some way. They saw a problem and wanted to find a solution and this became their purpose. Purpose conveys what you stand for historically, ethically, emotionally, or in practical terms. It is the force that compels you to keep going, even in the darkest of times. Think about any cause, movement or trend that you followed – there was always a purpose.
- Your business purpose statement answers 3 questions:
- Why does your business exist?
- What problem are you trying to solve?
- Why this business and not something else?
If you’re struggling to find your purpose, it might be helpful to remember who your business serves, how and why.
WHAT’S YOUR BUSINESS VISION?
Now you know why you are in business, you need to paint a picture of a future that feels tangible. To create a vision, you need to use your imagination to create a picture of where you want to be. Your vision, whilst aspirational, adds a level of realism so that people are really clear about what you are aiming for and by when. Quite simply, visioning is an essential skill of a leader, but one that many simply don’t find the time to do. Now I love daydreaming. In fact, when I put my mind to something, I can make the vision so real it’s almost tangible. It’s just how my brain is wired. I know it’s just not that easy for many, but if you can’t paint a picture for your people, inspiring them to follow your lead, you will always remain a manager, someone having to direct, tell, and drive others to perform.
If you need a bit of help with your vision, answer these 3 questions:
- What is my dream for this organisation/team/project?
- What will be different when you have achieved your vision?
- What impact will your vision have?
You need to share your vision with people you trust, who will tell you the truth and challenge your thinking. Before you launch your vision on the world, you’d better test it out and really hone your message, so it lands with the right impact. You want people to get as excited and passionate as you are.
WHAT’S YOUR BUSINESS MISSION?
If your purpose is why you are in business, and your vision is what you will achieve, your mission is how you will do it. Without the context of purpose or vision, the mission feels a bit flat, but put it all together and magic happens. Your mission tells people what game you’re in and how you want to play it. It focuses everyday decisions and helps you set the priorities. I founded my company, 3WH, with a clear mission. My mission statement lets customers understand what we do, but also reminds me of what I need to do to stay on track. ‘3WH is a leadership and team development company who develops leaders through coaching, consultancy and experiential development programmes.’ I get offered new opportunities all the time; for example, I was asked to help set up a recruitment company, which sounded really exciting, but I eventually declined as it didn’t fit with my mission. When I make any decision, I ask: what will help us achieve our mission faster?
Your mission statement gives total clarity and informs your strategy. It simply answers:
- What does your company do?
- How you do it?
- What value do you provide and how?
So before we move on to the Operational Strategy, ask yourself these questions again:
- What are you in business for? (Purpose)
- What is the problem you are trying to solve?
- What is the service you deliver and how does it solve the problem?
- What impact will you have in the next 3-5 years (Vision)
- What will be different – think people, culture, processes or products?
- How will you do it? (Mission)
- What do you actually do?
- How will you know you have got there? (Time, cost, quality, deliverables)
If you would like to delve deeper into the WHY, HOW and WHAT of leaders and businesses, watch the video below to understand why some leaders and organisations inspire more than others.
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