Who's going to implement the plan?

An article from the McKinsey Quarterly, January 2005, “Leadership As The Starting Point Of Strategy” reminds us of the importance of leadership in strategic planning. Here’s the abstract: “Companies that overlook the role of leadership in the early phases of strategic planning often find themselves scrambling when it's time to execute. No matter how thorough the plan, without the right leaders it is unlikely to succeed. … Executives must consider their leadership pool as they shape strategy and align their leadership-development programs with long-term aspirations.” And in nonprofits, this includes board leadership as well.