7 Key Questions to Ask to Uncover Clarity (or Lack Of) About Your 2026 Strategy
Strategic clarity isn’t binary. It doesn’t show up as “clear” or “unclear.” It shows up in how confidently people can explain priorities, make trade-offs, and act without constant escalation.
As you look toward 2026, the questions below act as a diagnostic. They surface where your strategy is genuinely solid — and where it may be assumed, under-defined, or quietly avoided.
1. What are we explicitly saying “no” to in 2026 — and where is that documented?
Clarity isn’t just about focus; it’s about exclusion. If priorities haven’t been paired with visible “no’s,” teams will continue to hedge, over-commit, and dilute effort. When leaders can’t clearly articulate what’s off the table, decision fatigue and competing agendas creep in quickly.
2. If I asked three different leaders to describe our 2026 strategy, would I hear the same story?
Misalignment rarely shows up as disagreement — it shows up as variation. When the narrative shifts depending on who you ask, execution becomes fragmented. Consistent language is one of the earliest indicators that strategic clarity has actually landed.
3. Where are we expecting alignment without having created shared understanding?
Leaders often assume agreement because plans were reviewed or approved. But shared understanding requires dialogue, context, and space to test assumptions. If alignment depends on compliance rather than comprehension, it won’t hold under pressure.
4. What trade-offs are we asking teams to make — without acknowledging them?
Every strategy creates tension. Growth creates strain on capacity. Efficiency creates pressure on innovation. If leaders aren’t naming these trade-offs, teams will absorb them silently — and resentment or burnout will follow. Clarity includes being honest about what gets harder, not just what gets better.
5. What decisions do we expect people to make independently in 2026 — and where are decision rights still vague?
Unclear decision rights are one of the fastest ways strategy stalls. When people don’t know where authority sits, momentum slows and unnecessary escalation becomes the norm. Strategic clarity shows up when people know where they can move — and where they must pause.
6. What assumptions are we treating as facts?
Every strategy is built on assumptions about markets, capacity, behavior, and timing. When assumptions remain untested, they quietly limit adaptability. Leaders who surface and challenge assumptions early create far more resilient strategies.
7. If conditions change mid-year, what won’t change?
This question reveals the true anchors of your strategy. If everything feels negotiable under pressure, teams will struggle to prioritize when disruption hits. Clear non-negotiables provide stability even when plans must evolve.
Clarity doesn’t eliminate uncertainty. It reduces unnecessary friction — and gives leaders and teams a shared reference point when things get complex.
Leadership Practice
Choose one of the questions above and explore it in three ways this week:
Write your own answer — without referencing any documents.
Ask the same question of two trusted leaders on your team.
Notice where answers align easily — and where hesitation, variation, or discomfort shows up.
Those gaps aren’t problems to fix immediately. They’re valuable signals showing you exactly where your 2026 strategy needs more attention.
This is not about perfect plans. It’s about choosing how you want to lead into the year — before the year leads you.
Author
Athena Williams, Founder and CEO of Tenacious Leadership Institute, partners with senior leaders and organizations navigating complex transformation at scale. For more than two decades, she has supported executives at global companies including Fortune 500 and high-growth organizations to strengthen leadership capacity, accelerate transformation, and deliver results that hold under pressure.
Her work sits at the intersection of neuroscience, leadership behavior, and execution - helping leaders think clearly in complexity, lead decisively through disruption, and align teams and organizations during critical inflection points. Through executive coaching and leadership development programs, Athena supports transformation that shows up in stronger decisions, sharper execution, and sustained performance across people, teams, and the enterprise.
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