How Intentional Is Your Strategy?

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Hi Reader

What do you think of when you hear strategy?

A thing only big corporates have? Something consultants get paid to write? A glossy document (or worse, a 50-slide deck) that looks impressive but nobody really understands? Or maybe it’s the endless shelf of business books, each promising the secret formula.

Truth is, I’ve seen plenty of corporates and consultants tie themselves in knots over the different definitions of strategy. And I’ve spoken to plenty of business owners who admit that this confusion means they don’t really have a recognisable strategy at all.

But here’s what many miss: every business already has a strategy. The only question is whether it’s been shaped on purpose or by accident.

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Strategy By Accident?

If you haven’t defined a strategy, your business direction is still being influenced but it might not be in your full control.

The day-to-day decisions, the priorities that sneak onto the list, the things you say yes to out of habit – clients, competitors, and circumstance – they all steer our business somewhere.

Growth and change happens, but not always on your terms. The direction, energy, and focus of your business could be drifting, all through a lack of conscious choice.

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Strategy Made Simple

Strategy doesn't need to be complex. At the heart, it's about clarity – clarity of direction, focus, and trade-offs. It connects the vision of where you’re heading with the deliberate actions that will get you there.

Strategy defines where you're going and why that matters. It shapes what you’ll do, what you won’t, and how you'll decide. It’s built on what you believe will make the biggest difference, and it guides how you align your focus, people, time, and resources to make it real.

When you lead with strategy (even a simple one), your choices carry more intent. Meetings, projects, decisions, investments all point in the same direction.

And that alignment brings focused momentum towards your vision.

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Shaping Your Strategy

Think about the next 18 months. Where does your business need to be – and why there? What would success look like (as precisely as you can define it), and what do you believe will make it possible?

Once you’ve explored that, ask:

• How likely is it that your current path will get you there?
• What needs to change to make that outcome more certain?
• Which choices and changes will accelerate progress?
• Which actions, habits, or approaches are creating drag?
• What's my strategic focus for the next 3 months, to move me closer to that vision?

We can't cover a complete strategy in an email, but answering these questions will give you a great start.

And remember, strategy isn’t something you hold privately. Your team and key partners need to understand the direction and why it matters, so their decisions reinforce it rather than dilute it.

That’s how you move from reacting to leading strategically – by shaping the next chapter of your business, not being shaped by it.

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Your Move

In the end, strategy isn’t about documents or buzzwords. It’s about clarity, intent, and the confidence to choose a direction – rather than drift with the prevailing winds.

So take a moment to reflect:

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I’ve helped strategy teams in national brands and founders of growing firms cut through the noise and create strategies they can actually lead from. Because when your direction is clear, every decision gets easier.

If you know your business could use that clarity, I’m offering a handful of standalone strategy sessions in October. Drop me a reply if you'd like to know more. Or, let’s talk.

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Stay ambitious.

Rob

From 1:1 coaching through to strategic partnership, you’ll find clear options for creating results that last. Explore them at sparkedambition.co.uk​

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Sparked Ambition Ltd | ​linkedin.com/in/robstubbs​