Get Shouty

A year ago, redundancy. One week from now, the end of a contract.

In between, a lot of time to think about what the strategist’s role actually is. What we’re really here to do.

The question that keeps coming back: What game are you playing and what’s your position?

This brings us to the strategist’s perennial challenge: our ego.

Many think the game is about being the smartest person in the room, having all the answers, or delivering the brilliant insight. But that’s not it at all.

The real work is finding a shared thought that everyone believes in. A unifying idea that the team, the client, the organization can rally behind. Creating the conditions for others to succeed. Our contribution is the invisible scaffolding, the quiet architecture that enables collective achievement.

The biggest lesson of my year? Two simple words: “Okie dokie.”

It sounds flippant, but it’s about acceptance. Acknowledging the curveball, the unexpected shift, and choosing your response.

This approach led me to make one of the most radical decisions you can make in the workplace: to be in a good mood.

After a professional setback, it’s easy to be guarded, cynical, or grumpy. That, I’ve learned, is the real own goal. Letting ego or personal frustration hinder your ability to foster belief and unite people. But I chose attitude as my MVP. Your internal state profoundly impacts your external output.

So, what’s your approach, strategist? Are you playing to be the smartest, or to build something together?

The most impactful work isn’t always the grand plan, but the daily, deliberate choices you make. Sometimes, the most effective move is simply to show up, embrace acceptance, and practive a bit of radical optimism.

P.S. It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play. For strategists, I’d add: it’s also about understanding what you’re really playing for.