In a high-stakes strategy session, you are not only evaluating the strategy. Everyone in the room is evaluating you. How to show up as a leader matters.
They are watching:
That is why knowing how to show up as a leader matters so much when strategies are formed, tradeoffs are debated, and difficult decisions are made.
Research on first impressions suggests that people rapidly form judgments about characteristics such as trustworthiness and competence. And our leadership simulation assessments consistently reinforce a practical reality: your expertise may get you into the room, but how you show up determines your influence once you are there.
Certainly, competence, expertise, and commitment matter. But your leadership mindset — how you think, learn, react, and behave when the stakes rise — shapes how others experience your leadership.
Why?
Because mindsets drive behavior, and behavior drives perceptions of leadership.
At a recent strategy retreat, an R&D leader advocated for several important decisions that he believed were best for the overall company — even though some could negatively affect his own organization.
He thought like an owner. He challenged assumptions, acknowledged vulnerabilities, and demonstrated that enterprise success mattered more than protecting his turf.
His influence grew.
During the same meeting, another executive consistently interpreted issues through the lens of protecting his own function. When challenged, he became defensive. When tradeoffs emerged, he focused on what his team might lose.
His influence shrank.
Same strategy. Same room. Same stakes.
Two very different leadership footprints.
Research: Your Mindset Can Change Your Influence
In one study, participants were primed with different mindsets before working together on an important group decision. Some reflected on aspirations, personal power, and positive experiences. Others focused on obligations, experiences of powerlessness, and negative emotions. A control group received no priming.
After the exercise, participants assessed who demonstrated leadership, earned admiration, and wielded influence.
Those primed to think positively about their future behaved more proactively and ultimately achieved greater status within the group.
The implication for executives preparing for strategy discussions is important: how you mentally enter the room can influence how you behave once the pressure starts.
Before Your Strategy Session, Ask Yourself
Do not prepare only your slides, numbers, and arguments. Prepare how you intend to lead.
Then, when the discussion begins:
Your goal should not be to win the argument.
Your goal should be to help the organization make the best strategic choices possible.
The Bottom Line
Strategy sessions reveal leaders. When priorities collide, resources become scarce, and assumptions are challenged, everyone gets to see whether you operate as a functional advocate or an enterprise leader. Show up curious, confident, candid, and focused on the greater good. The executives who increase their influence are rarely those who dominate the conversation. They are the ones who elevate it.
You cannot fix what you cannot see. Discover how others really experience your leadership. Read 8 Leadership Blind Spots Your 360 Feedback Could Expose
Tristam Brown is an executive business consultant and organizational development expert with more than three decades of experience helping organizations accelerate performance, build high-impact teams, and turn strategy into execution. As CEO of LSA Global, he works with leaders to get and stay aligned™ through research-backed strategy, culture, and talent solutions that produce measurable, business-critical results. See full bio.
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