The Missing Link in Strategy Execution: Why Connection Matters

Do leaders understand the strategy? Do they connect their teams, so they understand how they contribute?

It’s one thing to create a strategy. It’s another for every team member to see themselves in it.

Too often, strategy remains confined to a PowerPoint or the special few. When people aren’t involved in shaping the strategy—or even understanding how it directly relates to their role—a disconnect naturally forms. And that disconnect can quietly undermine the very progress the strategy is designed to drive.

This isn’t about having a strategy that’s unclear or ineffective. In fact, most strategies are well-crafted. The challenge lies in translation—bringing strategy to life in a way that connects with people on the ground, across functions, geographies, and levels of responsibility.

Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

Last week, I had the privilege of spending time in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia with 54 senior leaders from a Trade Credit Insurance company. The focus? Defining their 2026 strategy and bringing it into sharper focus—not just as a plan on paper, but as a shared plan that each leader could communicate and champion within their teams.

What stood out was the critical role leaders play in bridging the gap between strategy and execution. This isn’t a one-off conversation—it’s a journey. Leaders need to take their people through the past (where we’ve come from), the present (where we are today), and the future (where we’re headed). That narrative arc helps individuals understand not just what the strategy is, but why it matters—and how they uniquely contribute to it.

Leadership Conference, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

Creating regular communication rhythms is key. These rhythms allow people to track how strategic projects are progressing, understand dependencies, and see where they can add value. It also creates the space for meaningful conversations—conversations that align individual effort to the organisations direction.

So, how do you get leaders genuinely bought into the strategy? How do you help them translate that buy-in into impactful conversations with their teams?

It starts with connection. When leaders are connected to the purpose and feel ownership of the strategy, they naturally become better storytellers, communicators, and motivators. That energy cascades down through the organisation.

Strategy doesn’t just need to be understood—it needs to be connected. That’s when it becomes real. That’s when it drives results.

Claire

P.S. If your organisation’s strategy is lacking clarity, alignment, or execution,here are some ways we can work together:

• Strategy Session to facilitate your organisation’s strategic focus and create a Plan on a Page.

• Senior Leaders Forum focused on operationalising your strategy and gaining alignment.

• Read Thriving Leaders: Learn the Skills to Lead Confidently, you can purchase it here.

Or check out the Thriving Leaders Podcast for bite sized leadership learnings. Episode 13 focuses on Strategy.

If you’d like to chat, please book some time in my calendar.