How smart do strategists need to be?

I’ve never liked when people say “the strategist needs to be the smartest person in the room.” Really? They know all the answers already? I believe that the strategist needs to ask the smartest question in the room. And it’s not easy to ask smart questions. Sometimes it’s even the question that everyone believes they know the answer to, but simply by asking the question, it brings everyone to the same conclusion together. Quickly.

Always curious, always digging for the right information to inform decisions and influence the work. A strategist who doesn’t ask questions or jumps to conclusions isn’t a strategist that I want to work with. (And I have had so many interviews where the potential strategist has zero questions for me…not good.)

You might be thinking that at some point the strategist needs to stop asking questions. You’re right, there is a time and place for making decisions and being declarative. But even then, the strategist is the helpful guide, steering an entire team in the right direction, not simply heading in the right direction and hoping everyone will follow.

Any questions?