It’s that time of year already – presenting the 2026 STRATEGY 🙃 !!
Can sometimes be a bit of a yawn, land like a lead balloon, or….maybe be awesome??
After years of sitting in boardrooms — as an executive search partner, and now as a CEO coach — I’ve watched many newly appointed CEOs present their first strategy to their new teams.
Most of the time, the strategy itself is sound.
What’s harder is the moment.
Three things I’ve seen make the difference between a strategy that lands… and one that quietly misses (or totally flops):
1. How you establish authority – without overplaying it
New CEOs often feel pressure to sound decisive about everything.
In reality, credibility comes from being clear about what you know, what you’ve listened to, and where you are NOT yet certain.
Credibility comes from clarity, not bravado.
2. Whether you address the inevitable anxieties
I’ve never seen a strategy presentation where people weren’t silently asking:
What does this mean for me? For my team? For my future here?
If you don’t acknowledge that emotional undercurrent, it doesn’t disappear – it just goes underground and people make their own stories.
3. The choices you’re willing to make (and say out loud)
The strongest CEOs I work with don’t try to cover everything. There is so much to get to, but people can only take in small bites.
It’s smart to make deliberate trade-offs – and explain them.
Focus is key. Less is more.
What still surprises me is how little time is spent preparing for this part.
Most CEOs (especially newly appointed ones, understandably) obsess over the deck, and under-prepare for the leadership moment.
Your first strategy presentation isn’t about the fab slides.
It’s the first real signal of how you’ll lead. Make it count!