Business Commitment #7: Commit to Strategic Thinking

“Stop reacting. Start architecting.”
Build with Purpose, Not Disorganized Anxiety

There’s a dangerous illusion in business: the hustle grind. Work 18-hour days, fight fires, solve today’s chaos—and feel productive. But real power? It doesn’t live in your inbox. It lives in your calendar, your whiteboard, your strategy.

If you’re the leader, imagine a chess board. Are you offering humble servant leadership like a wise king? Or are you playing every piece—pawn, rook, and king—running around in circles trying to do it all?

I’ve seen too many leaders burn out trying to win the week while losing the decade. Strategic thinking is the difference between a builder and a firefighter. One builds empires. The other chokes on smoke.

This commitment is about stepping back, removing emotion, and looking at the facts. It’s about guiding your team with solutions—not control. Servant leadership means equipping others to rise, even when they stumble. When you let go of perfectionism and empower people to fail forward, you multiply capacity. But if you’re trying to control everything yourself, you’re not leading—you’re bottlenecking.

You’re Too Close to the Fire

Most people stay reactive because it feels urgent. Urgency gives the illusion of importance—and over time, that sense of urgency becomes addictive. You get a hit of dopamine by solving problems in real-time. It feels like control, but it’s really chaos dressed as purpose.

Early in my career, I saw this firsthand. We were sprinting to grow, celebrating speed like it was strategy. The motto was: “Just get it done. Make it happen.” But no one was asking, “Are we scaling smart?” Margins shrank, our systems cracked, and what looked like momentum was actually disorganized anxiety.

We weren’t planning a year out—we were reacting day to day. And that’s the trap: you lose the long game because you’re too busy surviving the short one. The goal isn’t just more business. It’s building a thriving company that serves people well. Somewhere along the line, our goals got lopsided. We had to reset.

Picture a rowboat with your top performers inside. Now imagine each one rowing in a different direction. You’re not getting anywhere—and everyone’s exhausted. Strategic thinking isn’t just about vision—it’s about alignment. Daily alignment.

It starts with organized, intentional meetings. Everyone rowing the same direction. Delegating clearly. Giving people ownership with clarity—even if that clarity is: “This is your job to figure out. I don’t know how, but I believe you can.” That’s leadership that builds capacity. That’s how you stop reacting and start architecting.

The deeper issue? Fear. Fear of slowing down. Fear of missing out. Fear of delegating. Fear of looking weak. And underneath all of it—lack of clarity.

Strategy Is the Language of Leaders

Strategic thinking isn’t just for Fortune 500 CEOs. It’s for fathers, founders, field guys—anyone leading anything. It’s a discipline of asking better questions:

• • “What’s the vision, what can I accomplish today to get to that vision?”
  • “If I say yes to this, what am I saying no to?”
  • “Where is the market going?”
  • “Where do I want my life to be in 5 years?”

In Extreme Ownership, Jocko Willink reminds us that real leaders are responsible for explaining the strategic mission, developing the tactics, and ensuring the team can execute.

In The Science of Getting Rich, Wallace Wattles writes, “Hold with faith and purpose the vision of yourself in the better environment, but act upon your present environment with all your heart.” Strategy is not just dreaming—it’s aligning today’s action with tomorrow’s vision.

And The Purpose Driven Life warns that without clear purpose, life is “motion without meaning, activity without direction.” Sound familiar? It’s how most people run their businesses.

Practical Action Steps: Start Thinking Like a Strategist

• • Block 90 minutes weekly for strategic thinking
    No phone, no meetings. Just you, a whiteboard, and big questions.
  • Draw a 3-year vision map
    Include revenue, team size, product lines, personal life, and margin of time. Then reverse-engineer quarterly priorities.
  • Set a filter question for every decision
    Example: “Does this decision move me toward my 3-year vision, or distract from it?”
  • Delegate everything that doesn’t require your brain
    If it can be done 80% as well by someone else—delegate it. Strategy requires margin.
  • Start teaching your team strategic awareness
    Involve them in planning. Show them the why behind your decisions so they think like owners.

Grounded Wisdom: Strategy Is Power with Purpose

• • The 48 Laws of Power warns us: “Plan all the way to the end.” Vision without a plan is hallucination.
  • The Fifth Agreement teaches: Be skeptical, but learn to listen. Strategic thinking is about filtering noise to hear truth.
  • Extreme Ownership demands that leaders simplify, prioritize, and execute. That’s strategy in action.
  • Scripture (Luke 14:28): “Which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost…?” God himself endorses strategic planning.

You’re not just a leader—you’re a steward. Of vision. Of people. Of opportunity. And that demands thoughtful, strategic leadership.

Honest Self-Reflection

Ask yourself:

1. Am I leading from vision or reacting from emotion?
   • • Am I clear on where I’m going, or just trying to survive the day?
     • Is fear guiding my choices, or purpose?
2. Is my calendar aligned with what matters most?
   • • What am I prioritizing: strategic focus or constant busyness?
     • What activities create long-term momentum versus short-term distraction?
3. Am I multiplying strategic thinking in others?
   • • Am I empowering others to think ahead or just follow orders?
     • What kind of future am I building through my leadership style?

Final Word: Play the Long Game, Leave a Legacy

You weren’t made to run in circles or burn out in the name of growth. You were built to build—with clarity, conviction, and purpose that lasts.

Strategic thinking isn’t about chasing more—it’s about building better. The ones who leave legacies are the ones who choose service over self. If your focus is just to get rich, you risk turning money into your master—and losing your peace in the process. But when you build to serve others, you tap into a purpose that multiplies: impact, fulfillment, and true wealth.

Every employee on your team represents more than a role—they represent a household. A father of three. A young woman supporting her parents. When you empower your people, you’re not just helping them succeed at work—you’re changing the trajectory of entire families.

Micromanaging and doing it all yourself might feel noble—but it’s actually stealing growth from others. Real leadership means coaching, not controlling. Correct with care. Empower through clarity. Hold them accountable—but let them rise.
It’s time to stop reacting. It’s time to lead with legacy in mind. It’s time to build with purpose.