We’ve seen it enough times to know business leaders often suffer from what we call “strategy impostor syndrome.” It’s just like the impostor syndrome we are all familiar with, except that for us it relates directly to building and executing a strategic plan (and the stress and expectation that can come with it).
Business leaders know they need a strategic plan, and company executives and boards of directors all want one. But not everyone is confident in their ability to produce a good strategic plan. They might “fake it til they make it” or they may fumble or outsource or recycle what they did the year before.
We’re here to tell you it’s normal to feel this way.
And it can get better.
Strategic planning doesn’t have to be something that comes from behind the curtain. It doesn’t have to be protected information available to only the top tier of a company. And it doesn’t have to be a perfunctory document that gathers dust on the shelf.
What it can be is: collaborative; dynamic; simple; a breath of fresh air.
If you are suffering from strategy impostor syndrome, it’s ok. You aren’t alone and we want you to know that the strategic plan of 10 years ago is nothing like the possibilities of the strategic plan today. Maybe it’s time to throw out what you think it should look like and instead rethink what the possibilities are.
Often, those who feel like impostors are the most hardworking and dedicated people who want to make a difference. The secret? If you have that drive and passion for your company, that’s the core of building an effective strategic plan because it shows that you care.
When you care, you’re open. And when you’re open, the possibilities come rushing in. Imagine how it would feel to be confident in your strategic planning—to take that breath of fresh air and know that it will make a real difference. Trust that if you care enough to feel like an impostor, we believe you have exactly what it takes to take on strategic planning in a new (and better!) way.
