Why Leaders Should Bring Their Extended Leadership Team into Strategy Decisions
How inclusive strategy-making improves execution, trust, and results
Involving an extended leadership team in strategy decisions improves execution, alignment, and trust. Learn why inclusive strategy-making is essential—and how real companies benefit from it.
사진: Unsplash의Nick Fewings
Introduction: Strategy No Longer Belongs to a Small Room
In many organizations, strategy is still shaped by a familiar group:
the CEO, a few senior executives, and a closed meeting room.
Decisions are fast. Slides are polished. Conclusions feel decisive.
Yet despite this efficiency, many strategies struggle once execution begins.
The reason is rarely the quality of the strategy itself—it is the gap between decision-making and execution.
In today’s complex business environment, strategy cannot succeed without broader leadership involvement.
The Real Reason Strategies Fail: Disconnection, Not Poor Planning
Organizations often say:
“The strategy was solid, but execution failed.”
In reality, execution fails because the people responsible for making strategy work were not involved in shaping it.
When strategy is designed by a small group and handed down to others, it often collides with:
- Operational constraints
- Market realities
- Cultural resistance
This disconnect weakens even the most well-designed plans.
Who Is the Extended Leadership Team?
An extended leadership team is not defined by job titles alone.
It includes:
- Functional leaders closest to customers and operations
- Mid-level leaders who translate strategy into daily decisions
- Experts who detect risks, constraints, and opportunities early
These leaders operate at the intersection of strategy and reality.
Case Study 1: A Global Consumer Goods Company Enters New Markets
A global consumer goods company developed a market expansion strategy at headquarters.
From a financial perspective, the plan made sense.
However, regional sales, logistics, and marketing leaders were involved only after the strategy was finalized.
The result:
- Pricing models that conflicted with local distribution structures
- Product positioning misaligned with consumer behavior
- Delays caused by repeated adjustments during execution
After this experience, the company changed its approach.
Regional and functional leaders were brought into strategy discussions early.
Decision-making took longer—but execution became faster, smoother, and more effective.
Why Involving Extended Leaders Strengthens Strategy
1. Strategy Becomes More Realistic
Senior executives see the big picture.
Extended leaders see friction points, constraints, and practical trade-offs.
Bringing both perspectives together turns strategy from an abstract vision into an executable plan.
2. Organizations Leverage Collective Intelligence
Modern business challenges are interconnected—spanning technology, people, regulation, and customers.
No single perspective is sufficient.
Inclusive strategy-making enables organizations to:
- Identify blind spots earlier
- Test assumptions before execution
- Adapt faster to change
3. Execution Improves Through Ownership
People are more committed to decisions they help create.
When extended leaders participate in strategy design, they become:
- Advocates rather than messengers
- Problem-solvers rather than resisters
Ownership replaces compliance—and execution accelerates.
Case Study 2: A Technology Company Transforms Its Operating Model
A technology firm attempted to shift from product-centric teams to a platform-based structure.
Initially, the strategy was developed by top leadership and announced company-wide.
While teams understood the vision, they struggled to apply it to their daily work.
The company then revised its process:
- Engineering, operations, and customer support leaders were involved in redesigning the strategy
- Practical concerns surfaced early
- Implementation plans became clearer and more credible
Resistance declined, and the transformation gained momentum.
Participation Is Not Loss of Control—It Is Strategic Trust
Some leaders worry that broader participation slows decisions or weakens authority.
The greater risk, however, lies in excluding key leaders.
Strategies made quickly but executed slowly
are more costly than strategies made carefully and executed decisively.
Involving extended leaders is not about sharing power—it is about sharing responsibility.
Case Study 3: Crisis Leadership During Supply Chain Disruption
During a major supply chain disruption, a healthcare company faced rapid uncertainty.
Instead of limiting decisions to senior executives, the CEO included:
- Operations leaders
- Logistics managers
- Regional business heads
This inclusive approach enabled:
- Faster information flow
- Multiple contingency scenarios
- Immediate alignment between decision and action
The company’s recovery speed was driven not by superior strategy—but by inclusive leadership structure.
Who Should Be at the Strategy Table?
Not everyone needs to attend every strategy meeting.
The key questions are:
- Who will be most affected by this decision?
- Who will detect failure signals first?
- Who will be responsible for execution under pressure?
Those leaders belong at the strategy table.
Conclusion: Strategy Quality Depends on Who Helps Shape It
In an era of uncertainty, strategy is no longer a static document—it is a learning process.
Organizations that involve their extended leadership teams:
- Adapt faster
- Execute better
- Build stronger trust
The most effective strategies are not created by a brilliant few,
but by accountable leaders working together.
The critical leadership question is no longer:
“How quickly did we decide?”
It is:
“Who did we decide with?”