From Opinion to Strategy: How to Tackle Big Hairy Questions with Strategic Clarity
In today’s complex world of work, strategic leaders are increasingly expected to tackle “big hairy” questions — the kind that have no obvious answers, only multiple perspectives. Whether it’s how to approach hybrid working, whether to scrap performance ratings, or how to design the “perfect” bonus scheme, these issues spark strong opinions, often without clear evidence or context.
As we explore in this series of The Strategic Leader podcast, navigating these thorny topics isn’t just about having the right answers. It’s about developing the right kind of thinking.
In this post, we’re sharing a best-practice framework for shifting from personal opinion to strategic viewpoint — an essential move for anyone looking to lead with clarity and impact.
Why Opinions Alone Aren’t Enough
We’ve all been there: sitting in a meeting where everyone has a different take on a challenging issue. One says A, another B, and someone else pipes up with C. Often, these opinions are based on assumptions, past experiences, or gut feeling — not on deep strategic reflection.
What’s the risk? That we stay locked in a game of “I think... well, I feel...” tennis, without ever reaching meaningful progress.
Instead of approaching these situations with a need to be right, we need to approach them with a desire to be strategic.
A Three-Part Model for Strategic Thinking
To support this shift, we use a simple but powerful three-part model to help leaders move from knee-jerk opinion to strategic clarity:
1. Perspective: Get on the Balcony
As we say on the podcast, strategic thinking starts with perspective — what we call moving from the dancefloor to the balcony.
When you're on the dancefloor, you only see what’s around you. You’re immersed in your own experience and preferences. But when you take a step back to the balcony, you see the broader context — the range of viewpoints, the dynamics in the room, and the bigger picture.
Start by asking yourself:
Where is my opinion coming from?
What experience, belief or assumption is shaping my view?
Might I be missing something?
Recognising that your perspective is just one perspective is a foundational act of strategic leadership.
2. Openness to Alternatives: Two Things Can Be True
The next step is to actively explore other viewpoints. This doesn’t mean abandoning your own. It means being curious about what else could be valid — and being open to the idea that more than one “truth” can exist at once.
Whether it’s in a one-to-one conversation or a team workshop, encourage contributions by asking:
What would someone with a different perspective say?
Is there another way to solve this problem with the same values or risk appetite?
What other approaches have we seen work?
By fostering curiosity and suspending the need to be right, you make space for what we call “creative grit” — that friction that generates real insight and innovation.
3. Context is King: What Does the Business Need?
Finally, shift your attention back to the real problem you’re trying to solve.
This is where many conversations derail. We get caught up in preference debates — “I think this”, “I prefer that” — without stopping to ask: What does the business actually need right now?
A strategic viewpoint is one that:
Is rooted in the specific organisational context
Aligns with commercial or cultural goals
Solves a clearly defined problem
In practice, this means letting go of ideology and anchoring your recommendations in relevance and outcome. The “right” answer is rarely universal — it’s the one that best fits your situation.
Strategic, Not Right
Ultimately, this model isn’t about reaching a consensus that makes everyone happy. It’s about helping individuals and teams shift from unexamined opinions to informed, strategic contributions.
That might mean challenging long-held beliefs.
It might mean disagreeing — but still committing to a shared direction.
It might even mean being wrong, in service of finding what’s useful.
And that’s the heart of great leadership: not being the loudest voice in the room, but being the most thoughtful one.
Want to go deeper?
Listen to the full episode on your preferred podcast platform, and subscribe to The Strategic Leader for more tools and insights on thinking, acting, and leading with strategic clarity.