How to Turn a Leadership Vision Into an Executable Strategy
Learn the key questions that help engineering leaders turn a clear vision into an actionable strategy. Discover how to sequence priorities, measure progress, build buy-in, and shift your own leadership to drive meaningful execution.
I was on a coaching call last week with an engineering leader who’d done the hard work of creating a vision for their new team.
They knew where they wanted to take them. They’d thought through the future state carefully.
But then came the question I hear all the time:
“Okay… but how do I actually turn this into strategy?”
It’s the gap most leaders get stuck in. The vision is clear. The path to get there is not.
Here’s what I walked them through, a set of questions that turn a vision into something executable:
Understanding the gap
- Where is the team right now vs. the vision? Getting honest about the current state helps identify the real distance to travel.
- What’s the organizational context? Do you have the authority, budget, and political capital to execute? Who needs to be aligned above or beside you?
Sequencing and dependencies
- What has to be true first before other things can happen? (Leaders often want to do everything at once.)
- What’s outside your direct control, and how do you influence those things?
Measuring progress
- How will you know you’re making progress? What are the leading indicators vs. lagging outcomes?
- What milestones would give you and the team confidence you’re on track?
Risk and assumptions
- What assumptions are you making that could be wrong?
- What’s the biggest “if this doesn’t work, nothing works” risk?
Your own leadership shift
- What do you need to do differently to make this happen? How do you need to show up?
- This is often where the real work is. The strategy reveals the leadership edge.
Bringing the team along
- How much should the team co-create vs. receive? How will you build buy-in?
- Where might there be resistance, and how will you navigate it?
Quick wins
- What can demonstrate momentum in the next 30-60 days to build credibility and energy?
If you’re sitting on a vision that hasn’t turned into motion yet, run through these questions. Often just one or two unlock the whole thing.
And if you want help thinking it through, that’s exactly what I do inside the Leadership Impact Labs.
Starting January 28, it’s twice-monthly coaching sessions where I work through real challenges like this with engineering leaders, plus a monthly AI workshop where I walk through a workflow or tool I’m actually using in my own leadership work. Between sessions, you’ve got a Slack community of engineering leaders to think with. Drop a challenge, get perspective, stay connected. No curriculum, no modules. Just live coaching on what you’re actually navigating.
Founding member pricing is $197/month, locked forever. This is limited to the first 10 people, then it goes to $297/month.
Sign up by Monday (Dec 15) and get a free 1:1 coaching session with me before we kick off.
I’m also hosting a free drop-in session tomorrow, Dec 10 at 4pm PT. It’s almost full, but if you want the replay, just DM me on LinkedIn and I’ll send it your way.
