Strategy, Do You Know What It Is? Distinguishing the Art of Shaping from the Act of Planning

When most people hear the word “strategy,” they think of a neatly bound plan: steps lined up, resources allocated, milestones in place. But that’s only half the story. Strategy isn’t just about mapping a path forward; it’s also about shaping the terrain itself. The real art lies in distinguishing between two fundamentally different modes of thinking: shaping strategy and strategic planning.

Why This Distinction Matters

For nearly three decades, I’ve sat across the table from executives wrestling with tough decisions. I’ve assessed thousands of leaders in contexts as varied as founder transitions, global expansions, and post-acquisition integrations. Over time, one pattern became clear: the leaders who thrive in shaping moments aren’t always the same leaders who excel in planning ones. It’s not just a difference in skillset, it’s a difference in mindset.

The Conceptual Divide: Shaping vs. Planning

The word “strategic” gets tossed around in boardrooms like confetti, but what it means depends on who’s speaking. At its core, there’s a vital distinction:

• Shaping Strategy is about asking “What should we do?” when the path ahead is foggy. It’s conceptual, future-focused work. Shapers thrive in ambiguity, using imagination and foresight to envision what doesn’t yet exist. Their language sounds like: “Let’s set a new direction that others haven’t even seen yet.”

• Strategic Planning, by contrast, asks “How should we do it?” It’s the practical work of turning a vision into execution, allocating resources, structuring initiatives, and ensuring accountability. Planners are skilled at turning ideas into disciplined action, building roadmaps that hold up under pressure.

Different Minds for Different Moments

Think of it like building a cathedral. Shaping strategy is the architect’s sketch, the bold lines that imagine a structure where none yet stands. Strategic planning is the engineering and construction, the disciplined effort to turn those sketches into stone, glass, and timber. Both are essential. But asking an architect to pour concrete or a builder to invent Gothic arches isn’t just unfair, it risks failure.

Embracing the Full Spectrum of Strategy

Too often, organizations collapse these two domains into one, expecting leaders to be equally adept at both. The truth is, shaping and planning demand different kinds of minds. By recognizing the difference, we can place people where they’ll have the greatest impact and respect both the visionaries who chart the course and the executors who make it real.

In today’s competitive environment, thriving organizations need both: the daring to ask “What should we do?” and the discipline to ensure “How should we do it?” gets answered. Strategy is not just a plan; it’s a spectrum. And when you harness the full spectrum, that’s when real transformation happens.