WHY LEADERS MUST EMBRACE STRATEGY OVER SPEED

Speed and immediate execution look attractive in leadership. It gives the impression of progress, shows up well in quarterly reports, and keeps people busy. But leadership is not about speed, but speed in the right direction. And direction comes from strategy. Without it, you may be running fast but heading nowhere.

Leaders who prioritize long-term strategy over quick wins build organizations that last. Those who chase speed at the expense of foresight usually burn out credibility, people, and resources along the way. Short-term results can be misleading. A boost in sales, a trending campaign, or a sudden expansion feels like success. Yes, it is success. But without a strategy, these moments are usually fleeting. It could have just been a lucky break, especially when you can’t exactly pinpoint what factor contributed significantly to the success.

When leaders do this repeatedly, customers will eventually notice, employees lose faith, and competitors catch up. The “win” that once looked impressive becomes a liability. Some companies chased quick revenue by cutting corners by cheapening products, overpromising to customers, or expanding too fast. They have crashed inevitably. This is because strategy is not just about what you achieve today but a factor to guarantee sustainability for tomorrow.

Shortcuts often feel efficient, but they come at the expense of discipline. Leaders who consistently choose speed over thorough decision-making unconsciously breeds a culture that execution matters more than quality. Teams eventually follow suit; work becomes rushed, standards slip, and small cracks progressively widen into major failures. Shortcuts are expensive in the long run.

History is full of companies that made this mistake, only to collapse. WeWork raced to dominate global office spaces, and blindly grew faster than the required strategy. Its multibillion-dollar valuation evaporated almost overnight. Blackberry clung to short-term wins from its secure email service but failed to think ahead about the smartphone revolution. Their speed in one era blinded them to the strategic pivot they needed.

Growth demands patience, which involves investing in people, refining processes, and honoring commitments. Sustainable organizations are built on resilient systems and disciplined execution. On the other side are organizations that mastered the art of patience. Amazon famously operated at a loss for years, reinvesting profits into infrastructure, logistics, and innovation. The patience was mocked at first, then revered. Apple spent years refining the iPod and iPhone behind the scenes, refusing to release half-baked versions. The result was category-defining products.

Strategic leaders don’t ignore urgency or the need for immediate execution. They know some fires must be put out immediately. But they never confuse urgency with direction. They act quickly when needed, but always in alignment with the bigger picture. Think of it as zooming in and out: urgency requires the zoom-in, but strategy demands the zoom-out. Great leaders toggle between the two seamlessly.

Some leaders thrive on speedy execution. They believe in acting quickly, refining ideas and processes as they go. This approach keeps momentum alive and avoids the trap of endless planning. But speed without foresight can lead to wasted effort, repeated mistakes, and half-baked results. On the other hand, some leaders lean heavily on strategic reflection. They want to think deeply, analyze every angle, and ensure decisions align with long-term goals. This reduces risk and creates clarity. But overthinking can stall execution, delay opportunities, and paralyze teams.

Both approaches have value, and both have blind spots. Speed without strategy lacks sustainability. Strategy without execution lacks impact. The healthiest organizations don’t rely on one type of leader. They encourage executors and strategists to complement one another. The executors keep things moving. The strategists ensure direction. Together, they create a balance where efficiency and sustainability can coexist.

A strategy only matters if it shapes behavior. Too many organizations draft ambitious plans that never reach the ground floor. Leaders must translate strategy into routines:

· Weekly check-ins tied to strategic goals

· Performance reviews that measure contribution to long-term outcomes

· Simple rules of thumb for decision-making

When the big picture lives in small habits, strategy stops being abstract. Strategic leaders aren’t necessarily the loudest or the fastest. They are the ones who ask better questions before making moves, see connections others miss, stay patient when others panic, and keep teams anchored in purpose during chaos.

Satya Nadella’s turnaround of Microsoft is a perfect case. By shifting the company’s focus from software development to cloud computing and collaboration, he repositioned an aging giant for long-term growth. He speedily executed well-research strategies for Microsoft’s continuous growth and development.

Strategic thinking is not a responsibility reserved for CEOs and senior executives. It is a myth that hurts organizations. Emerging leaders and mid-level managers must also learn to think strategically. Strategy is a mindset, and a muscle anyone can build or train for by trying these daily practices:

· Ask “why?” three times before approving a project.

· Review yesterday’s actions if they aligned with long-term goals?

· Block 30 minutes weekly for reflection on future priorities.

· Encourage your team to challenge assumptions during meetings.

Young leaders can start by connecting their daily work to the long-term vision, challenging assumptions, and practicing foresight in small decisions. Strategic maturity grows from the ground up. When strategy becomes everyone’s mindset, not just leadership’s role, organizations grow stronger at every level.

Strategy has a human side. Your company’s goals and visions won’t achieve themselves. A long-term plan is worthless if your team don’t believe in it or see their role within it. Leaders must make strategy relatable. Show people how their work connects to the bigger picture, and they will carry it forward with energy and ownership.

Get this wrong, and even the smartest strategy falls apart. Get it right, and people themselves become the engine of sustainability. And in doing, we must always learn to measure what truly matters because metrics can either guide or destroy strategy. If we build a culture that measures only revenue, people will chase quick sales. If you measure long-term customer satisfaction and loyalty, people will build relationships. Leaders must design KPIs that reinforce long-term outcomes and encourage sustainability. What you measure signals what you value. The wrong measures reward activity without impact. The right measures reinforce patience, resilience, and growth that lasts.

Strategy does not always translate to moving slowly but moving wisely. Leaders who embrace long-term thinking create organizations that endure crises, outlast competitors, and inspire loyalty. Speed will always tempt. But if you want results that last, you need patience, discipline, and foresight. Leadership is in how far you take people, and whether the structures you build will still stand when you’re gone.

 Okorie MFR is a leadership development expert spanning 30 years in the research, teaching and coaching of leadership in Africa and across the world. He is the CEO of the GOTNI Leadership Centre.