Great Strategy Shows Up in Decisions, Not Slide Decks

If you’ve been in leadership long enough, you’ve probably sat through your fair share of strategic planning retreats; the kind with sticky notes, flip charts, great conversation, and a plan that feels polished, but may not be truly transformative. 

I say that with the utmost respect, because I’ve helped lead some of those sessions myself. What I’ve learned over time is this: Strategic planning isn’t powerful because of the document it produces. It’s powerful because of the clarity, discipline, and courage it builds inside an organization. And when leaders approach strategy as a learning process (not just a planning exercise), they unlock an entirely different level of impact. 

That idea came to mind when I watched Elevations Credit Union President & CEO Gerry Agnes reflect on how he shaped Elevations’ strategic direction early in his tenure.  

His remarks echo something I see in many of the most effective credit union leaders today: They don’t start with “what should we do next?” They start with “How do we think, learn, and make decisions as an organization?” 

That shift changes everything. 

It’s All About Clarity 

Many strategic plans try to accomplish too much: anticipate every external trend, articulate every initiative, and satisfy every internal constituency. And in the process, they lose their sharp edge. What really differentiates resilient organizations from others is how clearly they understand what they exist to do, where they create the most value, and how they make disciplined choices. 

The frameworks Gerry mentions in his video, like Jim Collins’ Hedgehog Concept, have endured because they force us to answer hard questions: What are we uniquely positioned to excel at? What fuels our economic engine so we can sustain our mission? And—maybe most importantly—what are we willing not to pursue, even if it looks interesting? 

That last question is where many organizations struggle. Because if everything is a priority, nothing really is. 

The most strategic leaders I know (including Gerry) are exceptionally disciplined about defining what falls outside their focus. And they communicate that clarity in a way that energizes, rather than constrains, their teams. 

Curiosity is a Skill 

One of the things I appreciate about the Baldrige Performance Excellence approach—which Gerry mentioned he and his team at Elevations have embraced—is that it doesn’t hand leaders a checklist. Instead, it asks thoughtful, even uncomfortable questions, like “How do you know your products and services are truly designed around member needs?” Those questions invite humility. They require honesty. And they help leaders notice where legacy thinking may be quietly steering decisions. 

In my experience working with credit union leaders across the system, the organizations that grow stronger over time share a common trait: They are curious. Not casually curious, but intentionally curious. They ask questions like: 

• Why do we operate this way?
• What assumptions are we protecting?
• Where are members telling us something we haven’t yet acted on? 

Curiosity, practiced with structure and courage, becomes a strategic skill. And when it shows up in leadership behavior, teams begin to mirror it. That’s where learning cultures take root. 

Strategy Gets Real in Decision-Making 

Here’s a shift I encourage leadership teams to make: Think beyond strategy as a once-a-year review. Instead, build strategy into the rhythm of decision-making. 

In executive and board conversations, elevate from “Did we hit the target?” to “What changed our understanding this quarter? What surprised us? What did we learn that should influence our next decision?” 

An impressive strategic plan is great, but it’s not a true measure of strategic maturity. Strategic maturity shows up in three places: 

• How confidently leaders make trade-offs
• How aligned decisions feel across the organization
• How consistently choices reinforce mission and purpose 

That kind of alignment comes from deeply understanding identity. 

Say Out Loud What You Will Not Do 

One of the most telling indicators of strategic strength is whether a leadership team can articulate, clearly and unapologetically, “Here are the opportunities we will not pursue because they dilute our purpose.” That level of clarity enables innovation. Teams know where they have permission to explore, and also where focus must remain uncompromised. Try categorizing initiatives into three buckets: 

• Core — central to our strategic identity
• Selective — pursued when they strengthen the mission
• Out of Scope — even if appealing, not aligned 

Saying it out loud is what makes the difference, because ambiguity is where misalignment grows; clarity is where execution accelerates. 

Leadership Style Matters More Than Any Framework 

Gerry also referenced Jim Collins’ concept of Level 5 Leadership—that rare combination of fierce determination and deep humility. I’ve seen that quality among many of the most influential leaders in the credit union movement. 

They: 

• Hold themselves to a high standard
• Make courageous decisions
• Remain profoundly grounded 

Humility doesn’t weaken strategic authority; it strengthens it. It creates space for new insight. It signals psychological safety. It tells teams: “We are here to learn our way into strength, not defend our past choices.” In environments like that, innovation emerges.

What Leaders Can Do Next 

If you’re in the middle of strategic planning, or have time to prepare for a future planning cycle, here are a few prompts to consider both individually, and as an executive team: 

• Where do we create disproportionate value for members, and how do we know?
• What are we uniquely positioned to be the best at in our market?
• What decisions have we made simply because “that’s how our industry does it”?
• What would we remove from our strategic focus if we had the courage to do so? 

And perhaps one more: Where might curiosity lead us somewhere better than certainty ever could? 

As you watch Gerry’s video, look for what Elevations did, and also how they think. In my experience, the organizations that grow stronger, more resilient, and more impactful over time reinvent strategy as a living practice beyond simply having detailed plans. They’re shaped by reflection, guided by purpose, and grounded in disciplined learning. 

That is where strategy stops existing solely as a slide deck and becomes a true leadership advantage.