When HR Says "Be More Strategic" – What Leaders Actually Need to Hear
Every month, thousands of performance reviews include the same vague feedback: “You need to step up” or “Be more strategic.”
Most leaders walk away confused. Frustrated. Wondering what the hell that actually means.
When HR or senior leadership uses these phrases, they’re not asking you to think bigger thoughts or attend more strategy meetings.
After working with 3,000+ leaders, I’ve decoded what’s actually being said: “You’re not working on the things that add the most value.”
That’s it. Being strategic isn’t about grand visions or complex frameworks. It’s about ruthlessly focusing on the work that creates the biggest impact for the business. But here’s what’s killing me – most leaders are drowning in the wrong work, wondering why they’re not getting recognised, not getting promoted, not getting the respect they deserve.
You’re working 60-hour weeks. You’re solving problems left and right. You’re the person everyone comes to when things need fixing. And yet, when review time comes, you get that soul-crushing feedback about needing to “step up.” It’s infuriating because you know you’re working harder than anyone else.
I hate to say it but you’re working on the wrong things.
Most leaders hear “be strategic” and think they need to read more business books, use bigger words in meetings, or create more PowerPoints about vision. Wrong. Dead wrong. Strategic leaders ask one question before everything they do: “Is this the highest value work I could be doing right now?”
Let me paint you a picture. Non-strategic Leaders spend their week attending five meetings about project updates, reviewing reports that could be automated, solving problems their team could handle, and completing tasks that feel urgent but aren’t important. They’re exhausted, overwhelmed, and invisible to senior leadership.
A Strategic Leader spends their week identifying and removing the biggest constraint limiting team performance, developing two team members to handle decisions that were bottlenecking progress, and connecting with key stakeholders to align on priorities that will drive next quarter’s results. Same hours worked. Completely different business impact. Completely different career trajectory.
Here’s what’s really happening when you get that feedback. Your boss isn’t questioning your work ethic – they can see you’re busy. They’re questioning whether you understand what actually moves the business forward. They’re watching you sprint in the wrong direction and wondering if you’ll ever figure it out.
The pain of this is real. You’re giving everything you’ve got, and it feels like it’s not enough. You’re watching colleagues get promoted while you’re stuck doing the “important” work that nobody seems to value. You might even be starting to question whether you’re cut out for senior leadership at all.
So how can you shift this?
When you get feedback about being “more strategic,” don’t get defensive. Don’t ask for more clarity. Don’t create a development plan around “strategic thinking.” Instead, audit where you’re spending your time and energy.
Ask yourself:
- What business problem am I solving? (Not what tasks am I completing)
- What would happen if I wasn’t here? (This reveals your actual value)
- How does my work connect to our biggest priorities? (This is strategic thinking)
If you can’t answer these clearly, you’re not being strategic. You’re just being busy. And busy doesn’t get promoted.
The most successful leaders I work with aren’t necessarily the smartest or hardest working. They’re the ones who can identify and focus on the highest value work. They’ve learned to stop being busy and start being valuable.
Jimmy Burroughes helps senior leaders in operationally complex industries transform from firefighters to strategic leaders. His “Simplify to Amplify” methodology has helped 3,000+ leaders build sustainable systems that scale.
When you are ready to find out more, here are a few ways you can connect with me
- Tired of leadership advice that doesn’t work in the real world? → Get practical insights that actually work
- Stuck in the leadership weeds and can’t see a way out? → Book your 1:1 Strategic Breakthrough Session
- Ready to reclaim 6+ hours weekly and lead with confidence instead of firefighting in chaos? → Discover Amplify
- Exhausted from your team needing constant oversight and direction? → Transform them with WoW
- Burning out from leadership overwhelm? → Get the antidote (my book)