637: How to Develop Your Strategic Fitness (with New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Rich Horwath)

In this episode of the Strategy Skills Podcast, Kate Safarova interviews Rich Horwath, a bestselling author, about his book "Strategic: The Skill to Set Direction, Create Advantage, and Achieve Executive Excellence." Horwath defines "strategic" as possessing insight that leads to advantage and discusses common mistakes leaders make, such as confusing strategy with aspirations and failing to make necessary trade-offs. They explore the importance of being different to achieve excellence, developing systems hard to replicate, and the challenges companies face when leaders are not strategic. Horwath emphasizes the need for leaders to communicate strategies, ask effective questions, and foster a culture of generating and sharing insights. The conversation also covers characteristics of good leaders, the importance of connecting personal purpose with organizational goals, and practical tips for sourcing and implementing insights without getting distracted, while also cautioning against the myth of "fail fast."