The expression, “he can't see the forest for the trees” is true of many business owners/managers. The day-to-day responsibilities are so overwhelming; they cannot find the time to consider business strategy. They are so involved in the details of problems they fail to look at the situation as the company as a whole. The questions to ask yourself are, "if you are not leading your business, who is? If you are not planning strategically, who is?"

Strategic planning is macro-oriented emphasizing the big picture and long term goals and objectives. This type of planning guides the long term direction of a business and one’s personal development.

Tactical planning is micro-oriented and focuses on short term goals. This type of planning is all about the “how” to get things done. The focus is on operations, which includes creating and executing action plans and managing daily events.

Business leaders should lead more; enjoy greater freedom, financial success, and happiness. They need to think and act strategically and effectively, see the big picture and have a long-term view. Their focus is on the entire business and not just the operation and technical aspects. Even in a small business short-term thinking can lead to long-term failure.

Getting caught up and reacting to a current symptom or problem, rather than being proactive and tracing the issue back to its root cause is common.  The best solution is to find a long term fix that will take the organization to a higher level of overall performance. Think about the direction and objectives of the business and solve problems with this in mind.

Traits to identify a strategic leader include:

Analytical thinker;
Sound judgment and decision maker;
Strong leadership skills;
Enterprising;
Innovative and creative;
Demonstrates a management skill-set;
Technical knowledge and performance;
Good communicator.

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