Stop Letting Your Strategy Gather Dust

I've been thinking a lot about strategy lately, specifically and taking action towards strategy. The reason I've been thinking about this is in the last couple of weeks I've received some messages from people that are special to me, Mentors, friends, old colleagues who I like to check in with regularly.

There's been a common thread, and they've all mentioned something about being a 'do-er'. Whether it's me specifically, or asking about whether my children have the same trait (spoiler, 75% of my children do have the same trait). And it's really got me thinking about what it is that makes someone a 'do-er' and how one can become a do-er. I think it's all to do with clarity and action.

In the last 6 months I've been working specifically with Executive and Transformation teams to bring their strategy to life. You know how sometimes there's a strategy document... and then it's filed away and never spoken of again.

The reality for many businesses today? Strategy is just a document gathering dust.

You’ve been in those meetings, the big, ambitious plans sound great, but then… execution stalls. Teams get caught up in day-to-day firefighting ( like to call it the game of whack-a-mole), and before you know it, another year passes without real momentum.

HERE'S WHY THAT HAPPENS:

Most leaders assume a strategy will drive action. But unless your team owns it, lives it, and breathes it, nothing changes.

The real challenge isn’t strategy creation. It’s strategy activation.

INTRODUCING THE BLAZE STRATEGY FRAMEWORKTM

At the core of high-impact leadership is a system that transforms strategic artefacts into real-world action and tangible results.

What I've been partnering with these teams for is to bring their strategy to life, activate it. To take their strategy from Absent to Activated and Actualised (implemented).

A strategy that sits on a shelf is a missed opportunity. Yet, in many organisations, strategy stalls because:

Execution is unclear.
Teams don’t see how their work connects to the big picture.
Leaders are bogged down in day-to-day operations.

Most leadership teams don’t have a strategy problem. They have an execution problem. That’s where the BLAZE Strategy FrameworkTM comes in.

The BLAZE StrategyTM is the antidote. It’s designed to close the gap between planning and action, making your strategy a driving force behind organisational success.

The BLAZE Strategy Framework

BLAZE is a proven system for turning strategic vision into real-world execution. Here’s how it works:

Breakthrough Vision: Align leadership around a compelling, future-focused vision that ignites action.

Leadership Leverage: Maximise leadership influence and ensure strategic buy-in across key decision-makers.

Action Alignment: Connect strategy to execution by ensuring every initiative drives the right outcomes.

Zone of Genius: Identify and activate the strengths of your team to accelerate performance.

Execution Excellence: Implement with precision, accountability, and sustained momentum.

This isn’t just strategy. It’s strategic execution that delivers.

Here’s how BLAZE changes the game for organisations that need to move faster, align better, and execute with precision:

✔️ Break Down Complexity – Make strategy execution simple and actionable.

✔️ Lead with Alignment – Create buy-in across executive teams and key decision-makers.

✔️ Activate Accountability – Ensure clear ownership so things get done.

✔️ Zero In on Outcomes – Cut through distractions and focus on what truly moves the needle.

✔️ Elevate Execution – From meeting discussions to measurable impact.

WHO IS THIS FOR?

CEOs & Executive Teams frustrated by lack of execution.

Transformation Teams managing BAU and transformation projects across enterprise

Leaders looking to align their department/portfolios and teams for faster, smarter decision-making

Businesses and Organisations going through a merger and/or acquisition looking to quickly align the new organisation and business.

Growth-focused organisations ready to go beyond strategy and into high performance.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Break It Down: Translate your strategy into clear, actionable initiatives.

Align Goals: Connect every team and department to the overarching vision.

Zero in on Priorities: Focus your resources where they’ll have the most impact.

With BLAZE, your strategy becomes more than a document, it becomes the foundation of your organisation’s daily operations and long-term success.

Below is how I typically see teams approach their strategic initiatives.

Starting at the bottom left - Misaligned. Teams who sit here, need to focus on (middle column) Congruence and Creating a strategy before moving to the above the line state of an Activated, Aspiration and Actualised strategy, and they do that by following the BLAZE framework and Courageously Committing and Communicating. Where do you think your strategy and team currently sit?

WHAT'S NEXT?

I’m opening up a handful of strategy deep dives over the next two weeks for decision-makers who want to stop spinning their wheels and start executing with precision. For leaders who are looking to build Radical Accountability within their teams and are ready to make a massive impact.

I do think this kind of work requires a different kind of thinking, a different mindset from the day to day activity. That's why not everyone is effective at strategic planning.

Your strategy shouldn’t just sit in a slide deck. Let’s bring it to life.

Until next time, Eat the Frog, Get the Worm, Be the Bird and Book in your Strategy Call.

Ally Nitschke is a best-selling Author, an award-winning Thought Leader and Speaker. She has been working with leaders and as a Leader for over 20 years.

She is on a mission to change the way we communicate at work, to lean into those uncomfortable conversations and lead with courage.

Ally is a Keynote Speaker at conferences, delivers Transformational Programs & highly engaging workshops as well as provides Executive Coaching.