Führungskräfte sind sich über strategische Visionen uneins. Wie führen Sie sie zu einer Lösung?

O problema apresentado nunca é o problema real! As pessoas escondem através de suas emoções, crenças e valores suas reais necessidades e isso faz com que elas entrem em conflito e desalinhamento. Compreender os valores individuais e organizacionais pode ajudar e muito a solucionar questões como essas. construir um ambiente seguro para permitir que a vulnerabilidade apareça poder grande parte da solução. Nós não fazemos o que queremos, fazemos aquilo que está esculpido em nossa identidade!

Not everyone is going to agree and so staying curious in the face of different visions is important. I think we should reframe this - discussions and different opinions when talking about strategic visions is critical for getting alignment and also stress testing your own thinking. Listening to your own emotions and managing them, will help you to ask constructive questions and actively listen. As senior leaders, what will help these challenging conversations is to get clear on the intention right up front. Is it to ask questions, listen and understand or have they entered the discussion with their own agendas, and won't be moved. Obviously the latter will lead to more conflict.

When senior leaders clash over strategic visions, guiding them toward resolution requires careful facilitation. Recently, I worked with a leadership team divided on key decisions. We began by creating a space for open dialogue, allowing each leader to express their vision. By focusing on shared goals, we identified areas of alignment that became the foundation for compromise. Through a structured evaluation of each vision against long-term objectives, we clarified the strategic benefits and fostered mutual respect. This approach led to a consensus that was not only effective but also strengthened the team's collaboration, resulting in a unified strategy everyone could support.

Encouraging empathy is crucial, but let's not overlook the deeper layer of Spiritual Intelligence in this process. When leaders connect on a “Spiritual Level”, they can transcend individual differences and align with a higher purpose. This transcendent perspective allows them to see beyond the surface-level conflicts and appreciate the shared mission that binds them. By integrating Spiritual Intelligence, leaders can cultivate a more profound sense of unity, paving the way for resolving strategic differences with compassion and wisdom.

It's normal for senior leaders to have different visions and they should express them. If they don't, then the business will suffer from a lack of leadership alignment and an underlying distrust or apathy. These types of discussions need to be facilitated carefully in a team environment. The facilitator (CEO or another) needs to ensure they role model kindness, asking questions, respectful challenge, understanding, and empathy. It's important for the facilitator to keep bringing it back to how these visions support the achievement of the overall goals of the business and be very clear when senior leaders agree a way forward, that they sustain that alignment.

Bei der Führung von Führungskräften zu einer gemeinsamen Lösung ist es wichtig, auf Körpersprache und nonverbale Signale zu achten. Zeigen Sie durch offene Handgesten und Nicken, dass Sie aktiv zuhören und Verständnis zeigen. Fördern Sie durch Augenkontakt und ruhige, gleichmäßige Stimme einen respektvollen Dialog. Achten Sie auf subtile Zeichen von Widerstand oder Zustimmung und passen Sie Ihre Strategie entsprechend an. Durch empathisches Verhalten und unterstützende Körpersprache schaffen Sie eine Atmosphäre des Vertrauens, die das Finden einer gemeinsamen Lösung erleichtert.

More often than not, identity politics are at play at senior levels of leadership where leaders are expected to actively contribute to strategic direction, i.e., each leader's strategic visions represent something about how this leader wishes to be regarded and/or who they believe they are (or ought to be). Investment (time and money) in enabling these leaders to extend sustained empathy towards one another will reap exponential benefits in speed, agility, clarity, cohesion, and competitiveness. Radical empathy happens when you are willing to take into your heart and body what another person feels, AND am willing to be changed as a result. This is whence magic happens. This is the X factor. This is ubuntu.

When facilitating something as important as vision, coaches do well to first create agreements on the process and leave the wordsmithing to the marketing team. Second, consider multiple ways to get to the heart of what matters. For example, add exercises that use the right brain (i.e., draw the vision)and help leaders tap into the emotional connection. Use the areas where you agree as your foundation. Third, facilitate safe spaces so that introverted and conflict-avoidant personalities are heard and empowered. For example, add an individual writing component that is contributed anonymously. Rarely do I see leaders disagree as much as I see leaders holding back what matters most. Facilitate with psychological safety, trust and synergy.

Get in a senior seasoned facilitator who uses Nancy Kline’s ‘Thinking environment’ principles to set up an inclusive safe conversation between the group of these senior leaders. And eventually get them all on the same page. Or at least be able to agree to disagree in a cordial way.

To guide senior leaders towards resolving differences in strategic visions, start by aligning their objectives with the overall goals of the organization. Facilitate discussions that focus on shared goals and how each vision contributes to these objectives. It’s like being the referee in a sports game—everyone needs to play by the same rules to win! By emphasizing common ground and the benefits of a unified approach, you help leaders see the value in compromising and working together towards a cohesive strategy.

As an executive leadership coach, I know that true alignment goes beyond agreement—it's about translating shared vision into actionable commitment. To drive resolution, focus on fostering a sense of ownership among leaders by linking the action plans directly to their individual strengths and strategic priorities. This creates not only accountability but also personal investment in the outcome. By anchoring the strategy in their core values and competencies, you turn the plan into a collective mission, ensuring sustained commitment and execution.

Implement a system to monitor progress on the agreed-upon strategy and regularly review its effectiveness. This helps ensure that the strategy is being executed as planned and allows for adjustments if needed. Think of it as keeping an eye on a garden—you need to check regularly to see if the plants are growing as expected or if any weeds need pulling. By tracking progress and providing updates, you keep leaders accountable and maintain momentum towards the shared vision, which can also help resolve any lingering disagreements.