Strategy only matters when it happens

When I work with leadership teams, one of the first questions I ask — often unspoken — is: “Will this strategy actually make a difference?” Too often, organisations produce beautifully polished strategy documents that sit on a shelf or gather digital dust. The truth is, a strategy is only worth having when it is turned into action — when it becomes a tangible game plan that your team can understand, believe in, work with, and deliver.

It’s not about perfection, or crafting a plan that pleases the board, shareholders, or consultants. It’s about clarity in priorities. Sometimes strategies are “too strategic” — lofty, abstract, and disconnected from the day-to-day realities of the team and the organisation. In these cases, even the most committed employees struggle to see why it matters or how they can contribute. Without clear line of sight, enthusiasm fades and progress stalls.

Making strategy tangible and credible is about finding the balance between ambition and deliverability. It starts with asking practical questions:

• What does success actually look like in six months, a year, or three years?

• Which actions will have the biggest impact right now?

• How does this connect to the work people do every day?

• How should we reprioritise to make room for the strategy to happen?

A credible strategy is both aspirational and achievable. It gives people clarity and confidence, not confusion or doubt. It is living, not static — evolving as the team learns, adapts, and achieves small wins along the way. Being specific and inspiring at the same time is not optional; it is essential.

I’ve often seen teams get bogged down in the details while losing sight of this balance. Many organisations have strategies that include a large number of “key initiatives,” all equally prioritised on paper. In practice, no one knows which to tackle first, and some are simply unfeasible in the current operating environment.

Working together, we clarified and agreed the priorities, identified quick wins, and mapped initiatives to tangible milestones. The difference was immediate: people understood what mattered most, could act decisively, and felt a sense of ownership over the outcomes.

Equally important, prioritisation must be honest and proactive. We need to avoid continually adding workload to the team; we must be clear about what can be paused or stopped.

Another key aspect is making the strategy visible and relatable. Strategy should not live only in board packs or senior leadership meetings. Teams need to see how it connects to their work and observe progress along the way. Celebrating small wins, sharing success stories, and recognising contributions makes the strategy real. It becomes something people can rally around, not a set of abstract statements only consultants would understand.

It’s also worth remembering that strategy is an ongoing conversation, not a one-off deliverable. Revisiting progress, reflecting on what’s working, and adjusting course are all part of making strategy happen. Leadership teams need to be honest about what’s feasible, identify gaps, and model a willingness to learn and adapt. This honesty and transparency build credibility — and inspire the team to act.

In my experience, the organisations that succeed are those that turn strategy into action while keeping it human. They balance ambition with realism, clarity with flexibility, and direction with engagement. They understand that a strategy without execution and team buy-in is just a document, and that the real value comes from making it happen — thoughtfully, practically, and with the team on board.

At the end of the day, it’s not about having the perfect strategy. It’s about creating a tangible, credible, and achievable game plan that aligns the team, guides decision-making, and drives real results. That is when strategy stops being words on a page and starts being a force for change.