A strategy should act as the compass of an organization: clear, directional, and capable of guiding decisions in environments defined by uncertainty. Yet many strategies fail not because of external threats, but because they fall into predictable internal traps. Dr. Marc Sniukas’ “7 Red Flags of Strategy” captures these pitfalls with refreshing clarity. When understood deeply, these red flags become powerful diagnostic tools—warning signals that tell leaders when their strategy is drifting from effectiveness into illusion.
This article explores each red flag, why it emerges, and how leaders can steer away from it.
1. It’s not a strategy
A surprisingly common issue is that what many organizations call a strategy is not a strategy at all. Instead, it is a long list of disjointed goals, initiatives, and aspirations that fail to connect to meaningful outcomes. The easiest way to spot this red flag is to look for incoherence: activities that don’t build toward a defined challenge or opportunity.
Teams often confuse ambition with strategy. They believe that by adding more actions, more KPIs, and more initiatives, they are increasing their chances of success. In reality, they are only increasing complexity and diluting focus.
How to avoid it:
Great strategies simplify. They begin with a clear articulation of the core challenge—“What must we win at?”—and shape a coherent response. Leaders must resist the urge to create exhaustive lists. Instead, they should concentrate on a few decisive actions that will truly move the needle over the next 12–18 months.
2. Business school strategy
This trap emerges when leaders fall in love with frameworks, models, and PowerPoint decks. It is strategy as an academic exercise: meticulous analysis, beautiful process design, and endless data gathering—but very little creativity or practical movement.
Symptoms include:
- Overuse of analytical frameworks
- Endless iterations of slide decks
- Dependence on more data instead of making decisions
- “Planning paralysis”
The danger here is intellectual comfort. Analysis feels safe. Action feels risky.
How to avoid it:
Make choices early. A strategy is about deciding among alternatives, not admiring them. Shift the energy from analysis to creativity—exploring what is possible—and then deliberately narrowing down. Leaders must constantly ask: What barriers stand in the way of executing these choices, and how do we overcome them?
3. Everybody’s darling strategy
This red flag reflects a well-intentioned but ultimately misguided approach: trying to make everyone happy. Consensus becomes the highest goal. Leaders avoid tough decisions to prevent conflict or discomfort.
This leads to:
- A little bit of everything
- Overemphasis on team buy-in
- Lack of prioritization
- Decision avoidance
- Feel-good choices rather than necessary ones
While inclusion is important, strategy created entirely by consensus becomes watered down—too broad to be powerful and too soft to guide action.
How to avoid it:
Create a psychologically safe environment but preserve leadership accountability. Encourage debate, gather a diversity of perspectives, but ultimately make clear decisions. Back choices with evidence, not sentiment.
4. Ivory tower strategy
This red flag appears when strategy is crafted in isolation by executives or consultants far removed from the realities of the front line. It is characterized by:
- Buzzwords and abstract concepts
- Unrealistic objectives
- Little connection to daily business
- Disengagement from employees, partners, and customers
Ivory tower strategies fail because they lack grounding. They do not reflect the friction points, needs, and opportunities that exist in the real world.
How to avoid it:
Co-create strategy with the organization. Engage employees, customers, and partners in meaningful conversations. Test assumptions early and often. When people see themselves reflected in the strategy, they own it—and ownership is the lifeblood of execution.
5. Microwave strategy
Microwave strategies are designed quickly, with minimal thought, often because leaders feel pressure to “just have something.” This shortcut mentality manifests in:
- Copying competitors
- Prioritizing best practices at the expense of unique context
- Superficial insights
- Lack of original thinking
Organizations fall into this trap when they mistake speed for effectiveness. Real strategy requires reflection, exploration, iteration, and the courage to choose a path that may differ from the industry norm.
How to avoid it:
Create your own recipe. Consider your unique challenges and strengths. Ask: What is the unique value only we can deliver? A good strategy embraces the specificity of the organization and the environment it operates in.
6. The circus is in town
Some organizations launch a strategy with great noise and enthusiasm—kickoff events, posters, slogans—but fail to follow through. After the initial excitement fades, the strategy becomes neglected, unmonitored, and forgotten.
Symptoms include:
- Loud strategic announcements but weak execution
- No progress tracking
- No adjustment or iteration
- Strategy becoming a “moment,” not a process
This red flag is essentially about weak discipline.
How to avoid it:
Institute a rhythm of review and feedback. Define clear accountability structures and KPIs. Establish systems, reporting cycles, and support structures that ensure the strategy becomes a living process. Execution requires consistency—not spectacle.
7. Wag the dog
This final red flag is one of the most dangerous: organizational politics obstructing action. In this scenario, political considerations override strategic priorities. Commitments are weak, alignment is low, and decision-making becomes fragmented.
Signs include:
- Decisions shaped by personal agendas
- No ownership
- Lack of alignment between departments
- Strategic inertia
When politics dominates, the strategy stalls—not because it is flawed, but because the organization refuses to act on it.
How to avoid it:
Build commitment deliberately and continuously. Leaders must model alignment and remove barriers to collaboration. Regular strategy reviews help reinforce focus, while expanding involvement over time increases both ownership and shared accountability.
Strategy as a discipline, not an event
Each of the seven red flags reveals a simple truth: strategy fails when it becomes disconnected from reality, from discipline, or from genuine choice. Effective strategy requires clarity, commitment, creativity, and courage. It is not a document—it is a practice.
Organizations that understand these pitfalls gain an essential advantage: they can detect early when their strategy is drifting and correct course before it becomes costly. The power of these red flags lies not in their warning, but in the opportunity they create for strategic excellence.
When leaders embrace strategy as a living, learning discipline, they build organizations that are aligned, resilient, and consistently capable of turning ambition into action.
DREIESKIVA|Roald Kvam 
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