Dr Debbie Bayntun-Lees
Jan 14, 2025
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Fusing leadership and strategy
In the last week, how much time have you spent strategizing for the future compared with responding to emails, questions, and other urgencies of the day?
Any leader reading this will be familiar with the tussle between the ideal – time and space to plan their vision for the future – vs. the reality – hours spent on emails, calls, administrative tasks, and other urgencies of the day.
The need for leaders to move from busyness to strategy is one of six critical leadership shifts identified in our recent research – The Better Leaders Paradox. The call for leaders to move away from a state of perpetual busyness to more horizon scanning, strategic thinking and planning was clear – more strategic thinking ranked among the top three aspirations leaders had for themselves in the pursuit of better leadership.
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Discover all findings from the Better Leaders Paradox here.
But perhaps one of the most compelling findings of the research is that the very shifts leaders need to make in the pursuit of “better” are also the preconditions for effective strategy.
Trust enables strategic thinking by freeing up cognitive bandwidth.
Coaching develops the talent pipelines that strategy depends on.
Clear communication aligns people behind long-term goals.
Well-being sustains the energy required for strategy execution.
Authenticity builds the cultural credibility that underpins transformation.
In this sense, “better leadership” is strategy in action. Strategy doesn’t live in PowerPoint decks. It lives in conversations, decisions, and behaviors. The way leaders show up every day is what brings strategy to life.
As organizations move further into an era defined by disruption, this link between leadership and strategy will only deepen. The organizations that succeed will be those that treat leadership culture as the engine of strategic agility.
Strategy: the first casualty of pressure
The call for leaders to shift from busyness to strategy is one that resonates all too well with leaders we work with. Many participants in our research described being “stuck in the weeds,” overwhelmed by meetings, emails, and short-term firefighting. They described days filled with activity but little time for reflection, of calendars that rewarded urgency over importance.
What people want from their leaders isn’t greater activity, but the space to think strategically – to pause, prioritize, and look ahead.
Strategic thinking was also one of the most requested behaviors employees wanted from their own leaders. People want leaders to move away from reactivity – to lift their gaze and provide long-term direction. This was especially prevalent at the most senior levels. More than any other group, senior leaders wanted their leaders to become more strategic thinkers and planners.
It’s clear that what people want – not only for themselves but for their leaders too – is to spend less time on operational activities and more time on strategic, big picture thinking. As one participant summed it up: “We need less firefighting, more horizon scanning.”
Leaders are well aware that they are overly focused on short-term delivery – and they are aware of the risk of reactivity. They see stepping back for strategic thinking as key to balancing urgent demands with future priorities. They recognize the need to spend more time reflecting, planning, and thinking about the bigger picture.
In other words, leaders know what’s missing – but they often feel trapped in systems that make strategic work the first casualty of pressure.
A balancing act
The question now is a practical one. When leaders are stuck in day-to-day firefighting, how can they lift their gaze to the future?
Shifting from busyness to strategy isn’t about slowing down. It’s about directing energy where it matters most, so people and organizations can move with purpose instead of pace. This creates a natural bridge to the leadership conversations ahead, focusing on how leaders connect today’s actions with tomorrow’s possibilities.
When leaders are given permission and structure to step back from constant delivery, something powerful happens: clarity returns. Teams gain direction, not just tasks. Decisions become intentional rather than reactive.
The key implication for organizations now is to invite more strategic foresight and reflection. Employees are looking to their leaders for vision, but many felt that strategic thinking was underdeveloped and underprioritized in their organization. Moving leaders beyond firefighting to long-term, future-focused thinking is critical to staying relevant and competitive.
Ultimately, “better” requires strategic focus. Better leaders are those who balance operational activity with strategic thinking, execution with vision, and today’s urgencies with tomorrow’s priorities.
What organizations can do now
People need leaders who look to the future, communicate with clarity, and provide a clear sense of direction. How can organizations practically support the shift from busyness to strategy?
1. Protect “strategy hours” in leaders’ diaries for deep thinking and reflection.
2. Reduce meeting overload: require agendas, outcomes, and attendance discipline.
3. Provide one-page strategy tools and horizon-scanning templates to simplify complex decisions.
4. Align KPIs to long-term impact, not just quarterly outputs, so strategic work is rewarded rather than squeezed out.
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Explore the full research
Discover the six critical shifts for "better" leadership that emerged in our research and what this means for leadership development by downloading the full report.
Meet the expert
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Dr Debbie Bayntun-Lees
Professor of Leadership & Organizational Development at Hult International Business School
With extensive experience in leadership and organizational development, Debbie works with boards, senior teams, and HR practitioners to foster inclusive leadership, navigate cultural transformations, and build high-performing teams in complex environments.
A former Managing Director of Connecting for Change Ltd and senior leader in the UK NHS, Debbie’s research explores workplace dynamics, focusing on gender equity and inclusive dialogue. Her doctoral work uncovered how women are “socially silenced” in professional settings. Passionate about gender equity, Debbie designs innovative learning solutions to support leaders in creating inclusive workplaces where everyone can thrive.
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