Class 2, Peer Response 1

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The author has given a glimpse of their former understanding of leadership and managed to give a detailed version about how this has changed, owing to their exposure to what strategic leadership really means. I agree with the author regarding leadership placing its focus on the accomplishment of a goal made possible through human participation and motivation (Prentice, 2004). However, a strategic leader is more than this since there are essential skills, competencies, and responsibilities that are taken into consideration, as the author details. Furthermore, a strategic leader is one who is able to bring to alignment the envisioning of the future of the organization they run and the goals to be met. This calls for a balance of a strategic leader’s expectations.

From the studies done so far, it is important to note that real-life examples help give a clearer view of what a strategic leader looks like and how that interlocks with the expectations in place. The author has managed to identify this through identifying the concepts pointed out in leaders such as Barack Obama, Winston Churchill, and Franklin Roosevelt. They were all strategic leaders, each managing to bring their competencies and skills to their ability to lead their countries despite the difficulties, but in an informed way (Lindsay, 2011 & Rhodes, 2019). In their uniqueness, there were strengths that came into play, making it possible for them to be great orators and applying their skills in decision making. Such experiences help give one a good idea about the roles that strategic leaders play in a bid to be successful at their endeavors and meeting the needs of their people.

A strategic leader especially stands out, as the author mentions, when they are good communicators, anticipatory making them a visionary, have a good grasp of the systems in place, and alignment with the forces around them. These characteristics are effective in dealing with any challenges they may be faced with. The author gives an example of anticipatory skills in the Affordable Care Act for Obama and the World War II for Churchill and FDR (Cimino, 2018 & Gale, 2016). This is spot on since the leaders were able to adequately prepare for challenges before their occurrence or before the consequences took a turn for the worst.

Strategic leaders also employ consensus building with their teams for effective leadership, although this does not happen always. This means that a leader at times has to stand on their own while putting the interests of their people first. The author has been clear on this. For decisions to be made effectively, the strategic leader has to have a good understanding of the environments within which they operate and the needs as the likes of FDR, Churchill, and Obama have (Gale, 2016 & Cimino, 2018). Lastly, a strategic leader ought to be a good orator as these three were. Further to the author acquiring a good understanding of this, it is important to note that these characteristics have to align and be in sync with each other for the leader to adopt them in practice (Guillot, 2003). Understanding the system makes consensus building and anticipation easier, thus leading to clear communication with the people and the leader’s team.

References

Cimino, A. (2018). Roosevelt and Churchill: A Friendship That Saved the World. Chartwell Books.Gale, H. (2016). Obama Evaluates Obama Care Positively Some Analysts Disagree With His Conclusions. Missouri medicine, 113(5), 328.

Guillot, W. M. (2003). Strategic leadership: Defining the challenge. Air & Space Power Journal, 17(4), 67.Lindsay, J. M. (2011). George W. Bush, Barack Obama and the future of US global leadership. International Affairs, 87(4), 765-779.

Prentice, W. C. H. (2004). Understanding leadership. Harvard Business Review, 82(1), 102-109.

Rhodes, A. (2019). The Geographic President: Franklin D. Roosevelt as a Geographic Thinker and Communicator. NAVAL WAR COLLEGE NEWPORT RI NEWPORT United States.