Strategic Leaders

• Strategic leaders are people located in different areas and levels of the firm using the strategic management process to select strategic actions that help the firm achieve its vision and fulfill its mission.
• Regardless of their location in the firm, successful strategic leaders are decisive, committed to nurturing those around them, and committed to helping the firm create value for all stakeholder groups.
• employees who perceive that their CEO is a visionary leader also believe that the CEO leads the firm to operate in ways that are consistent with the values of all stakeholder groups rather than emphasizing only maximizing profits for shareholders
• visionary leadership motivates employees to expend extra effort, thereby helping to increase firm performance
• CEOs and other top level managers are strategic leaders.
• CEOs are responsible for making certain their firm effectively uses the strategic management process.
• the pressure on CEOs to manage strategically is stronger than ever
• many other people help choose a firm’s strategy and then determine the actions for successfully implementing it
• all managers (as strategic leaders) must think globally and act locally
• the most effective CEOs and top-level managers understand how to delegate strategic responsibilities to people throughout the firm who influence the use of organizational resources
• Delegation also helps to avoid too much managerial hubris (self-confidence) at the top and the problems it causes, especially in situations allowing significant

  managerial discretion.
• Organizational culture also affects strategic leaders and their work and strategic leaders’ decisions and actions shape a firm’s culture.
• Organizational culture refers to the complex set of ideologies, symbols, and core values that are shared throughout the firm and that influence how the firm conducts business.
• Organizational culture is the social energy that drives—or fails to drive—the organization.
• Southwest Airlines provides POS (Positively Outrageous Service)