Strategy Maturity Assessment

*Positional Leadership: leadership is based solely on a person's title or position within an organization. People follow because they have to, not necessarily because they want to. It's the lowest level of leadership influence.

Permission Leadership: leadership is based on relationships. Leaders begin to build connections with their team members and earn their trust and respect. People follow because they want to, not just because they have to.

Production Leadership: leaders demonstrate competence and effectiveness in achieving goals. They deliver tangible outcomes, which further solidifies their leadership position. People follow because of what the leader has done for the organization.

People Development Leadership: leaders focus on developing their team members. They prioritize mentoring, coaching, and empowering others to reach their full potential. Leadership is not just about what the leader can achieve personally but also about how they can help others grow.

Pinnacle Leadership: Pinnacle leaders are rare and have a profound impact. They have developed leaders at all levels and created a legacy of leadership within their organization. They are highly respected and admired, not just for their accomplishments, but for their ability to inspire and empower others to lead.

Ad Hoc/Initial: governance and risk management practices are informal, reactive, and inconsistent. There may be limited awareness of risks, and decisions are often made on an ad hoc basis without clear processes or standards.

Defined/Repeatable: beginning to establish formal governance structures and documented risk management processes. There is a basic framework in place, but practices may still vary across different areas of the organization.

Managed/Proactive: governance and risk management activities are integrated into business processes and decision-making. Risks are identified, assessed, and managed systematically, with dedicated resources and regular monitoring and reporting.

Optimized/Strategic: mature governance and risk management practices that are aligned with strategic objectives. There is a culture of continuous improvement, with mechanisms in place to adapt to changing risks and opportunities effectively.

Dynamic/Leading: a dynamic and proactive approach to governance and risk management. Innovative approaches to risk management, and continuously enhancing governance practices to stay ahead of emerging threats and opportunities.

*Dependence: team members rely heavily on the leader for guidance and direction. They may lack confidence in their own abilities and are hesitant to take initiative.

Counterdependence: team members start to assert their independence and challenge the authority of the leader. Conflict and competition among members may arise as they strive for autonomy.

Independence: team members develop a sense of self-reliance and trust in their own abilities. They collaborate effectively, communicate openly, and take responsibility for their work.

Interdependence: the team achieves a high level of synergy and collaboration. Members work closely together, leveraging each other's strengths and supporting one another to achieve common goals.

Interdependence with Multiplication: team members not only work well together but also empower and develop each other. They actively seek opportunities for growth and continuously strive for excellence as a unified team.

Awareness: individuals recognize the need for change or improvement. They may have ideas or aspirations but lack a clear understanding of how to implement them or what the implications might be. There's a basic acknowledgment that something needs to be done but often a lack of clarity on how to proceed.

Initiation: there's movement towards action. Ideas are being discussed, and plans are starting to take shape. However, there may still be uncertainty or hesitancy about fully committing to implementation. Initial steps are being taken, but there's often a lack of comprehensive planning or follow-through.

Execution: actively implementing ideas or initiatives. Plans have been developed, resources allocated, and actions initiated. There's a focus on carrying out tasks and achieving short-term goals. However, challenges may arise during implementation, requiring adaptability and problem-solving skills to overcome obstacles.

Optimization: there's a commitment to continuous improvement and refinement. Feedback is sought, and processes are evaluated to identify areas for optimization. There's a focus on efficiency, effectiveness, and maximizing outcomes. Lessons learned from previous implementations are applied to enhance future efforts.

Transformation: Transformational maturity represents the highest level of capability in implementing ideas. It involves a fundamental shift in mindset and approach, leading to significant and sustainable change. There's a culture of innovation, agility, and adaptability, with a strong emphasis on long-term strategic goals and organizational evolution.

Ad Hoc: there's a lack of a coherent strategic vision. Decisions are made reactively and in response to immediate challenges or opportunities. There's little consideration for long-term goals or overarching objectives. Strategy, if it exists at all, tends to be informal and fragmented.

Emergent: there's a growing recognition of the importance of strategic thinking. Efforts are made to articulate a vision and direction for the future, but it may still be relatively undefined or evolving. Strategy development is often driven by key individuals or ad-hoc committees rather than being systematically integrated into organizational processes.

Defined: there's a formalized strategic planning process in place. The organization has a clearly articulated vision, mission, and set of strategic goals. Strategic objectives are identified, and resources are allocated to support their achievement. However, there may be limitations in terms of alignment between strategy and execution, or in the ability to adapt to changing circumstances.

Aligned: there's a strong alignment between strategic vision and day-to-day operations. The organization has established mechanisms for cascading strategic objectives throughout the organization and ensuring that individual goals and activities are aligned with broader strategic priorities. There's a focus on accountability and performance management to track progress towards strategic goals.

Integrated: At the highest level of maturity, strategic vision is fully integrated into the organizational culture and DNA. Strategy is not viewed as a separate activity but as an intrinsic part of how the organization operates. There's a culture of innovation, learning, and adaptability, with a strong emphasis on continuous improvement and agility in response to changing external conditions.

Foundational Creativity: basic ability to generate strategy ideas or solutions. There exists the capacity to think divergently, to explore different possibilities, and to generate novel concepts or approaches. Foundational creativity often emerges naturally in childhood and is present in everyone to some extent.

Applied Creativity: At this level, creativity is channeled towards solving specific problems or addressing particular challenges. It involves the practical application of creative thinking to real-world situations. Applied creativity is often seen in fields like engineering, design, and innovation, where individuals use their creative skills to develop new products, processes, or solutions.

Expressive Creativity: focuses on self-expression and personal exploration. It involves using creativity as a means of communication, reflection, or artistic expression. Expressive creativity can take many forms, including visual arts, music, writing, and performance. It's about using creativity as a tool for personal fulfillment, emotional expression, and connection with others.

Transformative Creativity: creativity becomes a catalyst for profound strategic change and innovation. It involves challenging existing paradigms, disrupting conventional thinking, and generating ideas that have the potential to transform industries, societies, or even the world.

Transcendent Creativity: the highest level of creativity, where individuals or groups achieve a state of flow, transcendence, or enlightenment through creativity. It involves a deep connection to one's inner self, a sense of oneness with the universe, and a profound understanding of the nature of creativity itself. Transcendent creativity is rare and often associated with exceptional individuals or moments of collective inspiration.

Nascent Ideas: strategy ideas are very early-stage ideas that may lack practicality or feasibility. They often emerge from brainstorming sessions or moments of inspiration but haven't been thoroughly evaluated or developed yet. Nascent ideas may be interesting or innovative but require further refinement to become realistic business opportunities.

Conceptual Ideas: strategy ideas have been conceptualized and fleshed out to some extent. There's a basic understanding of the problem or opportunity the idea addresses, as well as a preliminary vision of how it could be implemented. However, there may still be uncertainties or gaps in the plan, and the idea may not yet be fully grounded in market realities.

Viable Ideas: Viable strategy ideas have undergone validation and feasibility testing to confirm their potential for success. Market research, customer feedback, and preliminary financial analysis have been conducted to assess the idea's feasibility. There's confidence that the idea addresses a genuine market need and has the potential to generate sustainable revenue.

Realistic Ideas: strategy ideas are well-developed and grounded in practical considerations. They have been thoroughly researched, tested, and refined to ensure their viability and scalability. Detailed business plans have been created, outlining key strategies, objectives, and execution plans. Realistic ideas are not only feasible but also aligned with the organization's capabilities and resources.

Strategic Ideas: At the highest level of maturity, strategy ideas are not only realistic but also aligned with the organization's long-term vision and goals. They represent opportunities for sustainable growth, differentiation, and competitive advantage. Strategic ideas are supported by robust business models, strong value propositions, and clear pathways to execution. They have the potential to transform the organization and create significant value for stakeholders.

Contributory Influence: Individuals contribute to strategic initiatives within their sphere of expertise or responsibility. They offer insights, ideas, and support within their immediate scope.

Collaborative Influence: Teams collaborate to align their goals with broader strategic objectives. They work together to ensure effective contribution to strategic initiatives and drive progress collectively.

Functional Influence: Functional units or departments exert influence over strategic decisions and actions within their specific domains. They translate high-level strategic objectives into actionable plans and allocate resources accordingly.

Organizational Influence: Organizational leadership influences strategic direction and decision-making across the entire organization. They set priorities, make critical decisions, and oversee the execution of strategic initiatives to achieve overarching goals.

Ecosystem Influence: Beyond the organization, leaders influence broader ecosystems, industries, or communities. They shape industry trends, drive innovation, and impact the strategic landscape beyond organizational boundaries.

Basic Persuasion: Individuals at this level may struggle to persuade others to adopt a particular strategy due to a limited understanding of strategic concepts and a lack of effective communication skills. They may rely on simple assertions or repetition without providing compelling rationale or evidence.

Transactional Persuasion: Individuals at this level may be able to persuade others to accept a strategy by offering short-term benefits or incentives. However, their approach may lack depth, and their influence may be limited to immediate compliance rather than genuine buy-in or commitment.

Relational Persuasion: Individuals at this level focus on building relationships and trust as a foundation for developing a strategy. They engage stakeholders in meaningful conversations, listen to their concerns and perspectives, and tailor the strategy to address their needs and interests. Their persuasive efforts are characterized by empathy, authenticity, and a genuine desire to create shared value.

Strategic Persuasion: Individuals at this level take a strategic approach to persuading others to support a particular strategy. They analyze the situational context, anticipate objections, and develop persuasive arguments based on data, analysis, and logical reasoning. They align the strategy with organizational goals and priorities and communicate its potential impact on key stakeholders and outcomes.

Transformational Persuasion: Individuals at this highest level of persuasiveness inspire and empower others to embrace a strategy as a means of achieving a shared vision or purpose. They communicate a compelling narrative that resonates with stakeholders' values and aspirations, tapping into their emotions and motivating them to action. Their persuasiveness has a transformative impact, leading to broad-based support for the strategy and a commitment to its success.

Operational Impact: the business strategy is primarily felt at the operational level. It involves improvements in day-to-day processes, efficiency gains, cost reductions, and enhanced productivity. Operational impact often results from streamlining workflows, optimizing resource allocation, and implementing best practices to achieve operational excellence.

Tactical Impact: Tactical impact extends beyond operations to influence specific aspects of the business such as marketing, sales, or product development. It involves aligning tactical activities with strategic objectives to achieve desired outcomes. Examples of tactical impact include increased market share, improved customer satisfaction, or enhanced brand reputation through targeted marketing campaigns or product innovation.

Strategic Impact: the business strategy has a broader and more profound impact on the organization's overall direction and performance. It involves making strategic decisions that shape the competitive position, market positioning, and long-term sustainability of the business. Strategic impact may manifest as revenue growth, market expansion, competitive differentiation, or increased shareholder value.

Organizational Impact: involves aligning the organizational structure, culture, and capabilities with strategic goals and objectives. Organizational impact may include changes in leadership dynamics, employee engagement, talent development, and organizational agility to adapt to market shifts and emerging opportunities.

Economic and Societal Impact: The highest level of impact is the broader economic and societal implications of the business strategy. It involves creating value not only for the organization but also for stakeholders, communities, and society at large. Economic impact may include job creation, wealth generation, and contribution to GDP growth, while societal impact may include environmental sustainability, social responsibility, and ethical business practices that benefit society as a whole.