Strategic Thinking Development
Bringing strategic rigor to critical projects, while embedding the capability among teams.
Most leaders find they are the only strategic thinker in the room.
Every important recommendation flows through them. Recommendations lack strategic clarity. Teams struggle to connect their work to the bigger picture.
That's not a people problem. It's a capability gap.
The people on their teams are smart and hardworking. They just were never taught this skill - it’s assumed you’ll figure it out along the way. And the standard response of send them to a training, hand them a framework rarely closes the gap.
I work directly with teams and individuals to develop their strategic thinking capability, inside the work that's actually on their plate.
Engagements are built around a specific project or initiative. A critical recommendation being built. A strategic planning cycle. A product or brand decision with real stakes. That becomes the material. The development happens in the process of getting the work right.
What this is: Developing Strategic Thinkers
Operators & Executors
Who drive initiatives brilliantly but are ready to pull up and see the bigger picture
Functional Experts
Product, Finance , UX directors, R&D leaders whose domain expertise is strong but need reps to connect it to the broader strategic context
Emerging Leaders
Mid-Level Managers who are ready for the next level but whose recommendations yet land with the clarity and conviction you are hoping for
How it Works
1.
Start by building context on your business. Before anything else I get to know the brand, business priorities, the team, and opportunities. This allows for specific and actionable guidance, tailoring the coaching on the outcomes your team needs to drive.
2.
Shape a roadmap together with you and your team, identifying highest priority focus areas — usually anchored to an ongoing project or initiative. The roadmap flexes as the work evolves.
3.
Working sessions built around progress on projects. Someone brings in a recommendation they’re building, a decision they’re navigating, a stakeholder situation they are preparing for. Strategic thinking development built along the way with refined deliberables as outcomes.
Where this tends to be most useful
A critical initiative where the thinking needs to be deeper and sharper
Supporting a high-potential leader preparing to operate at the next level
A team that’s moving fast but struggles to articulate how the work adds up to a strategic rationale
Claire combines deep experience in brand and strategy with a passion for coaching and developing leaders. She has a unique ability to simplify strategy development, making it clear and actionable for leaders at all levels.
Her toolkit and 'train the trainer' session equipped my directors with the confidence and frameworks to coach stronger strategic thinking in their teams while sharpening their own skills. Claire is both direct and supportive—a great partner for any leader looking to elevate their team's strategic capabilities.
—Amelia Landers, VP, Global Customer and Partner Innovation, Starbucks