For this week’s edition of The Filter, we’re taking a step back from our usual marketing tips and tricks to focus on something a bit more big-picture: strategic advisors, and the potential they can unlock for your business.
You may be months, years, or decades out of school, but successful leaders know that learning should never stop.
Whether you’re entry-level or a CEO, remaining open to strategic insight can set you apart from the competition.
If you’ve been playing with the idea of bringing on a trusted guide, this is your sign.
Here’s why the iProv team views strategic advisors as the core of every growth strategy:
The Shortcut You’ve Been Looking For
Even if you don’t believe in shortcuts, working with mentors and coaches is the closest thing to a professional cheat code. If you’re looking for a personal guide, the right person won’t do any work for you, but they will…
- Show you new ways to think about the work you’re doing
- Listen to where you want to go, then nudge you in the right direction
- Leverage their third-party perspective of your playing field to call plays on your behalf
- Call out costly mistakes before they happen
- Identify your strengths and ensure you optimize them
Alex Hormozi says, “Entrepreneurship is about acquiring skills, beliefs, and character traits. To advance, I find that we must determine which skills, beliefs, and character traits we lack.”
When you find the right coach, all you have to do is listen and follow the playbook.
The Missing Strategic Link
As businesses grow, so do the complexities associated with them. In today's competitive business landscape, only leaders with highly skilled strategic advisors will know how to navigate the challenges they face.
On top of personal growth, here’s what makes them so essential in driving growth for a business:
- They offer unbiased insights. Unlike internal teams, they are not influenced by organizational politics or biases. Their recommendations are focused solely on what is best for the business.
- They have access to a broader network. Because strategic advisors often work with other companies, investors, suppliers, and industry experts, they can provide clients with complete, contextualized insight.
- They help identify and capitalize on new opportunities. Strategic advisors can help evaluate potential opportunities and provide specialized advice on making the most of them.
- They assist in developing strategic plans. Strategic advisors can help develop practical plans that align with the company's goals and objectives.
- They act as a sounding board for ideas. By providing feedback on ideas and proposals, strategic advisors can offer a critical analysis of important decisions to ensure that your company is moving in the right direction.
With their expert advice and guidance, businesses can stay ahead of the competition and achieve long-term success.
Optimizing the Resources You Already Have
Instead of just coaching your or another single member of your team, a strategic advisor can also work with an organization as a whole. They can meet with multiple members of an in-house team to maximize productivity, revenue, and creativity.
If you’ve tried a few other tactics to boost your team’s performance to no avail, a trusted advisor might be what’s missing. They’ll look at what you have, what’s missing, and what can be done to improve your overall structure.
Identifying the Perfect Match
Choosing the right strategic advisor can have a significant impact on both your business or and your personal goals. The role of an advisor depends on what you would like help with, so it’s important to consider a few factors when selecting the right match:
- Relevant expertise: Look for a strategic advisor with expertise in your industry or area of focus.
- Strong interpersonal skills: A good strategic advisor should be an effective communicator, able to articulate complex ideas clearly, and know how to build strong relationships with clients.
- Strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities: The best strategic advisors are able to think both creatively and critically.
- Collaborative approach: A good strategic advisor should be great at building consensus with clients and making it easy to buy into their suggestions.
- Commitment to ongoing development: The best strategic advisors keep up with the latest industry trends and best practices to provide the best possible guidance to their clients.
- Trust and integrity: It is important to work with a strategic advisor who operates with the highest levels of integrity, always prioritizing the client's best interests above all else.
Overall, the best strategic advisor is someone who aligns with your core values and has a clear understanding of your situation and goals.
When it comes to marketing, advertising, and the latest from the wide world of comms, we’ve got you covered. Whatever you think your growth strategy might be missing, we’d love to explore potential solutions.
