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Strategic Leadership Success:

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Leaders are good at gazing across the horizon of time, imagining the attractive opportunities that are in store when they and their constituents arrive at a distant destination (Kouzes & Posner, 2007). Knowing this, how can leaders create a strategy in leading their organizations to the positive end they are envisioning? It is important to understand that a strategy is a plan for interacting with the competitive environment to achieve organizational goals (Daft, 2007). However, it takes strategic leadership to achieve the results the leader is looking to achieve. Strategic leadership is the ability to anticipate and envision the future, maintain flexibility, think strategically, and work with others to initiate changes that will create a competitive advantage for the organization in the future (Daft, 2008).

The leader's role in all of this requires precision, time, careful consideration, and careful planning. Additionally, it encompasses creating action plans, defining functional roles, and determining skills and resources, as part of the strategy and vision for the organization. Leaders must understand that the results they achieve in their organization, is a direct result of the people they employ to bring their vision for the organization to life. Leaders must make a conscientious effort to foster collaboration and build trust among their employees (Kouzes & Posner, 2007). Reflecting further on leadership, the leader has to be exemplary in how he or she obtains buy-in when promoting the vision. Weller (2007) suggests that there is no point in having a vision to fulfill a particular role if there is little support from the organizational members.

There are areas that leaders can consider in creating the vision, inspiring others to follow the vision, and providing the tools and resources needed to bring it to life. Kouzes & Posner (2007) talks about people following the leader first and then the plan the leader has developed. Leaders can look at building trust with their employees, and entrusting them with what they need to succeed. Kouzes & Posner (2007) posits that trust is the foundation of authentic leadership and the more people trust their leader, and the people they work with, the more they are willing to take risks, make changes, and keep organizations and movements alive.

When it comes to employees, products, services, markets and technology, the leader has to be flexible in his or her strategy and try the following:

**First, the leader has to understand the advancements in technology to ensure the employees are equipped with the tools they need to achieve the vision.

**Second, leaders have to understand who their competitors are, and their own position in the market, so they can plan accordingly.

**Third, leaders have to know what tools and resources their employees need to do their jobs, provide those things for them, and ensure employees are motivated to do the job.

**Finally, leaders have to be willing to make adjustments as necessary to the plan, based on the internal and exte
al environment.

As long as leaders are willing to create checkpoints to see what is or is not working with the existing strategy, make adjustments when warranted, keep employees motivated to do their jobs, and believe in their vision, they can achieve positive results on their quest for organizational success.

Cited References in article

Daft, R. L. (2007). Organizational theory and design (9th ed.). Thomson South-Weste
Daft, R. L. (2008). The leadership experience, (4th ed.). Thomson South-Weste
Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2007). The leadership challenge (4th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Weller, F. (2007). The Four Vs of Leadership: Vision, Values, Value added, and Vitality. Credit Control, 28(1), 72-74. http://search.ebscohost.com

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About the Author

Certified Life Coach, Motivational Evangelist, Professor, Author. Dawgelene has a passion for speaking, writing and motivating others to reach higher heights, which has spanned the past 20 years. She strives to motivate others to press forward with a passion for achieving their goals, and maximizing their God-given potential in every area of their lives. Her particular areas of expertise include leadership and motivation, which she feels is essential for getting individuals to ditch that in-the-box mentality, and expand the scope of their royal success.

She started "Think Royally" as a spin-off of "The Pact Queen", which was dedicated to inspiring women in under-served communities. As she began to work with women in mentoring, counseling and coaching, she realized one common theme, everyone desired to change their thinking, so that they could progress in every area of their life. Women, whether under-served or not, were feeling overwhelmed with parenting, relationships, empty-nesting, careers, finances, education, community, spirituality, etc. She wanted to help them relieve some of these feelings of being overwhelmed, by providing inspiration, motivation, and dedication in helping them excel.

She has worked providing leadership mentoring, motivation, and organizational development, to organizations, ministries, small business owners, higher learning environments, and entrepreneurs. Her focus has been to assist them in maximizing their God-given potential, especially women. Doing public speaking since the tender age of 5 that began in churches, her speaking focuses on inspiring others to succeed in their endeavors towards positive life changes that begins with the “thought seed” first, and then blossoms with the water of knowledge that allows them to find their royal flow. She brings a powerful and empowering God-inspired message, using emphasis and passion to bring the listener's vision to life.

Her writings focus on motivational words of wisdom that inspire hope and vision in their readers, and encourages them to take action on leading a better life. She has published numerous motivational and relationship articles, is the author of Behold You: Change From Within, and Give That Man RESPECT- 7 Principles on Respecting Your Husband books, and has developed several life-changing leadership and motivational workshops to include, REJUVENATE (a ministry leadership workshop), and Set Your Goals! Dawgelene is currently developing a 12-week community leadership program, that will cover 4 domains of leadership, and help enhance the lives of women in the under-served communities in Chicago.

Additionally, she is a contributing editor on Women’s Radio with a column called, ‘Royal Snippets,” and is a radio host on Blogtalkradio.com, with her show, “Royal Snippets,” both of which provides inspiration, motivation, and tips for success for all individuals, especially women.

She holds a B.A. in business management from Chicago State University; an M.A. in I/O Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, and is currently pursuing her doctorate in Organizational Leadership. She gives back to the community by serving on several boards to include the Princess Within Foundation, the Association of Black Psychologists, The Suzuki-Orff School of Music, and The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She started www.ThinkRoyally.com, formerly thepactqueen.com to provide free advice to individuals seeking positivity in their lives, as well as co-founding www.themarriagereport.org, which is dedicated to providing inspiration for married couples.

She is happily married, lives in Chicago with her children, and teaches graduate courses in team dynamics, organizational culture and design, and organizational behavior in the tiny spare time that she has.

She developed this way of thinking: "In order to find YOUR royal flow, you have to first identify it, get in the water at a level that works for you, and swim like a fish upstream"

Strategic Leadership Success:

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