The notable author Peter Drucker said, “No executive has ever suffered because his subordinates were strong and effective.” I firmly believe that this is true and one of the ways I have tried to get my team members to be stronger and more effective is creating the expectation that they too need to operate in a strategic way. I have found great success in not only being focused on executing strategy, but also in leading others to be more strategic about their individual roles. Strategy and leadership must go hand in hand at all levels.

Some businesses have a brand worth billions of dollars, others are worth very little. What is yours worth? Regardless, a brand is invaluable asset that every organization needs to take seriously and branding is easier that you think. By applying a good image, name, and a little effort, you have just moved yourself ahead of much of your competition.

A wise person once said: “Nothing is constant except for change; it is the only constant we can count on.” If the statement is so true and accepted as such, why is change so difficult to deal with, anticipate, and plan for? If it’s such a certainty, then why does it always catch us off guard and upset or ruin our plans?

Recently, while on vacation (yes, a beautiful beach), one of my projects experienced a big change of plans (yes, while I was on the beach). This involved an event with a large number of clients in Canada. Fortunately, I work with a wonderful team of individuals who stepped up to the plate and made the necessary modifications to allow for a successful event, regardless of all the last minute changes.

I would like to link my comments to what Matt Fankhauser discussed in his blog entry titled “The Strategic Business Travel” and using strategy on a daily basis. Over the years, I have read, studied, and learned a lot about strategic leadership and how great leader execute strategy for themselves, their team, and the organization. In fact, I think I have done a pretty decent job with strategic formulation and the strategic goals that I set for me or that my teams set. But when it came down to my daily tasks and responsibilities at work and at home, I caught myself saying very “un-strategic” things like: “I should have…” or “If I had thought about it I would have…” or “Why didn’t I think about…”

I was sitting in my office the other day when I had a “snack attack” mid-afternoon. I opened my desk drawer and noticed a package of gum. I figured it might keep my mouth busy and somewhat satisfy my immediate hunger. This triggered a thought about how different manufacturers of today’s product commodities might have a lot more to it than what meets the immediate eye.