Are you driving a high-stakes strategy?

Placing a big bet on a completely new direction for your organization can create a lot of anxiety...

I remember the sweaty palms and sleepless nights launching a “make or break” offering for our organization that required a big shift in how we did things. As I tried to confidently persuade everyone we were on the right track, I worried, "Why aren’t we moving faster?” “What if we fail”? "How can I make sure we get results?" 

If you’re like many CEOs and boards I talk to who are in this situation, you may have found that STARTING something new is actually easy!

But SHIFTING and taking an established organization an entirely NEW direction is HARD. And if the STAKES ARE HIGH it’s even harder!  While YOU may have recognized that your organization needs to make a shift, taking a new strategy to market is a team sport. 

You need to get a lot of people ALIGNED and prepared to take ACTION if your strategy is going to be successful:

       ✔ Your leadership team

       ✔ Your board of directors

       ✔ Your employees 

       ✔ Your partners 

       ✔ Your funders 

       ✔ And your customers, those you aim to serve.

Leading a high stakes strategy can be exciting and energizing. But it can also be FRUSTRATING ...and EXHAUSTING... and a bit DAUNTING. 

It means dealing with unending questions and sometimes even questioning yourself.  

YOU may be feeling the URGENCY to move fast and seize windows of opportunity, but may be getting questions: “What are we doing this for?” “What about the risks?”  "Are you SURE this is going to work?"

When I reflected on the challenges that leaders of established organizations have when introducing a high stakes strategy, I realized they were often making common mistakes. They were frequently underestimating what it takes to change direction and inspire a lot of people to take action together. 

                     SO HOW DO YOU AVOID THESE COMMON MISTAKES?

 - How can you navigate when there are so many unknowns?

 - How do you make sure people are ready to take action WITH you?

 - How can you avoid running into potholes down the road?

-  How do you build confidence in your new direction -- even when you don't have all the answers?