http://blog.bluesummit.net The Art of Strategic Leadership Fri, 21 Dec 2007 17:34:35 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en An example of ineffective strategy is a dry, one-inch-thick report that people only refer to when they need some market numbers, or a PowerPoint slide deck full of esoteric whiz-bang charts put together by a team of consultants. Powerful strategy is the living, breathing force behind the actions of an ... http://blog.bluesummit.net/creativity/creativity-in-strategic-planning/2007/ Even though most of us would agree that it's a good thing to bring more creativity into our strategic planning efforts, much of the time very little attention or effort goes into actually making it happen. This month's practice is about taking stock of your organization's efforts at bringing ... http://blog.bluesummit.net/creativity/practice-of-the-month-how-creative-is-your-strategic-planning/2007/ How many times have you seen one of those vague, slightly inspiring, but wishy-washy vision statements?  They're often found buried in a thick report or framed on a wall, overlaying a sublime photo.  Nobody knows quite what they mean, who wrote them, what actions they imply, or why they should ... http://blog.bluesummit.net/vision/the-7-cs-of-powerful-vision/2007/ Even though most of us understand that a powerful vision is critical to achieving what we want, we don't usually put much attention on the quality or power of our vision. This month's practice is all about taking stock of the level of quality of your vision. You can do ... http://blog.bluesummit.net/vision/practice-of-the-month-how-powerful-is-your-vision/2007/ There are over 2 billion people on this planet living on less than $1 a day. Another 2 billion average just a bit over $2 a day. And the gap between rich and poor is only getting bigger. Natural resources are deteriorating an alarming rate. We're ... http://blog.bluesummit.net/collaboration/the-need-for-collaboration-in-creating-a-sustainable-future/2007/ One of my greatest passions is doing my part to help corporations generate a strong sense of purpose beyond making money for its shareholders. So, when I came across this post on purpose beyond profit by Chris Nel at the Tom Peters blog, I just had to share it ... http://blog.bluesummit.net/leadership/purpose-beyond-profit/2007/ One of our passions is finding the best ways to visualize complex ideas like a competitive environment or a strategy. We use a wide variety of graphic and visualization methods to help clients literally "see" where they're at and where they're heading. Well, the folks over at the ... http://blog.bluesummit.net/visual-mapping/periodic-table-of-visual-methods/2007/ I have often found myself in conversations with clients about the meaning and purpose of some of the most fundamental business terms -- words like Mission, Vision, Strategy, and Values. It surprises me how often people on the same team have differing ideas about what these words mean, and ... http://blog.bluesummit.net/strategy/mission-vs-vision/2007/ It's common knowledge that for a team or organization to be effective it must be aligned around its Mission, Vision, Strategy, and Values. But how many of us actually take the time to inquire into how aligned we really are? Our first Practice of the Month is all about looking ... http://blog.bluesummit.net/strategy/practice-of-the-month-evaluating-alignment/2007/ This past month has brought more ominous warnings on the environment and the effects of global warming than ever before, and the calls for action are growing. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a report on February 2nd with more than 2500 reserachers from 130 nations contributing. This ... http://blog.bluesummit.net/sustainability/the-heat-is-on/2007/