Strategic Leadership and Decision-Making

In the midst of Congressional Hearings and a demand to become more customer focused, the Internal Revenue Service found it more critical than ever to target development efforts that supported strategic objectives. They solicited bids to develop two programs they believed necessary to develop "macro-level attributes such as systems thinking, possessing a broad and long-term perspective, and possessing the ability to understand complex situations and take effective actions."

After much research into the culture of the Internal Revenue Service, we designed and implemented a five-day Strategic Decision Making program and a ten-day Strategic Leadership program that included an Application Project between Weeks One and Two.

Strategic Leadership was designed to enhance strategic thinking abilities and prepare advanced and executive leaders to better utilize strategic leadership skills. Leaders needed to be able to think and act strategically, reframe problems and issues from all perspectives, and address them with more dynamic approaches. Strategic Decision Making, targeted for mid-level managers, introduced strategic decision-making models to cause participants to view issues from a systems perspective. Strategic Leadership built on the knowledge and skills gained in the Strategic Decision Making program.