6 January, 2026
In my recent strategy consulting engagements, I have noticed that many strategy managers are overly involved in operational details and day-to-day activities, which weakens their ability to maintain strong strategic oversight.
While it is essential to understand and address internal business issues, strategy managers must pay closer attention to the external environment, especially in the private sector. This includes monitoring emerging trends, new technologies, evolving customer expectations, competitor performance, and regulatory and policy developments.
Addressing the external conditions impacting the business should account for more than 80% of the strategist’s role. However, many strategic leaders drift from their core responsibilities and become consumed by operational distractions, such as preparing endless reports for the CFO or senior management, particularly the CEO, or being dragged into reactive internal firefighting events.
Usually, this distraction comes from the misunderstanding of the strategy department’s mandate, which is often mistakenly treated as a reporting office for the C-suite. As Tom Kite aptly quoted, “You can always find a distraction if you’re looking for one”.
At the end, every strategy manager must be aware of the trap of his department functioning as a reporting office, as this comes at the expense of proactive strategic thinking, future-focused opportunity seeking, and rapid value realization.
