A common explanation for this is that both CEOs and management teams often come from operational backgrounds. As a result, their attention naturally focuses on day-to-day activities such as deliveries, customer relationships, and internal processes. Combined with limited resources and heavy workloads, this often means that strategic issues are handled on an ad hoc basis rather than through a structured process built on analysis and clear priorities.
Another challenge is the lack of fact-based decision-making. Without a well-developed understanding of the market, competition, technological developments, and regulatory changes, it becomes difficult to make informed decisions about investments, market positioning, and future direction. For this reason, it is often wise to establish a more systematic and thorough market analysis as the foundation for strategy development and business planning. Otherwise, the risk is not only that opportunities are missed, but also that the company gradually loses relevance in a rapidly changing business environment.
This is where the board of directors plays a crucial role. Beyond its responsibility for governance and oversight, the board must actively help the organization take a broader perspective. This means requiring the CEO and management team to develop a clear strategy and business plan based on structured analysis and organizational alignment.
Findings from the Strategy Barometer 2026 show that companies where the strategic planning process is initiated by the board—and where the board also formally approves the strategy—tend to be more successful. Furthermore, we see that companies with a well-defined and established strategy process are better positioned to succeed in implementation. Ensuring that such a process is in place, and continuously developed in collaboration with the CEO and management team, is very much a board-level responsibility.
In this work, it is often valuable to engage an experienced external advisor who can contribute structure, methodology, and proven approaches for organizing and facilitating the process. A well-executed strategy process does more than provide direction—it also creates a common language for priorities and investments across the organization.
For many companies, this requires a shift from a predominantly operational focus to a more balanced way of working, where strategic issues are given both attention and structure. Experience shows that even relatively modest efforts, such as structured analyses and facilitated workshops, can significantly improve both decision quality and organizational alignment around the path forward.
Ultimately, for both the board and the CEO, the challenge is to unlock the full potential of the business—and to ensure that the company not only maintains its position, but actively strengthens and develops it.
Nicolas ter Wisscha
Management consultant, CANEA
nicolas.ter.wisscha@canea.se
+46-733-551004
