How Do I Lead My Team without Strategic Direction from Above? episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 17, 2026 · 1H 1M

How Do I Lead My Team without Strategic Direction from Above?

from Harvard Business Review · host HBR

How Do I Lead My Team without Strategic Direction from the Top? 12 Jun 2023 --- He leads a team at a large global organization and gets positive feedback on their work. But he’s having trouble leading his team amid conflicting priorities and without direction from his senior leaders. Host Muriel Wilkins coaches him through how he can help his team have organizational impact, with or without more clarity from above. Further reading: - When Managing Through Ambiguity, Develop a Clear Vision: https://hbr.org/2020/11/when-managing-through-ambiguity-develop-a-clear-vision - How To Lead Through Ambiguity: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2021/06/08/how-to-lead-through-ambiguity/?sh=4168a4c01ee6 - 5 Reasons Your Employees Don’t Understand Your Company’s Vision: https://hbr.org/2021/09/5-reasons-your-employees-dont-understand-your-companys-vision - How to Teach Leaders to Navigate Complexity: https://instituteofcoaching.org/blogs/how-teach-leaders-navigate-complexity This episode originally aired on Coaching Real Leaders on April 24, 2023. Listen to more episodes of Coaching Real Leaders on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzAU8TPKsJua_hcLjT7aFzWcoqMnrp-z7 You can also listen to this episode on HBR.org, and wherever you listen to podcasts: - HBR.org (transcript available here): https://hbr.org/podcast/2023/04/how-do-i-lead-my-team-without-strategic-direction-from-the-top - Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-do-i-lead-my-team-without-strategic-direction-from/id1545444200?i=1000610409413 - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5gnbm9KN6yyI7f6Pk6EXRo?si=72b95068855d447d - Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/coaching-real-leaders/episode/how-do-i-lead-my-team-without-strategic-direction-from-the-top-302424215 - Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL2ZlZWRzLmhhcnZhcmRidXNpbmVzcy5vcmcvaGFydmFyZGJ1c2luZXNzL2NvYWNoaW5nLXJlYWwtbGVhZGVycw/episode/dGFnOmF1ZGlvLmhici5vcmcsMjAyMC0xMi0xNzpjb2FjaGluZy1yZWFsLWxlYWRlcnMuczUuMDAwMg?sa=X&ved=0CAUQkfYCahcKEwjYyYyBj7T_AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQNg Series Description: We all want to get to the next level of our career, but so many of us get stuck. Longtime leadership coach Muriel Wilkins takes you inside real-life leadership coaching sessions with high performers working to overcome professional challenges and grow as leaders. Listen in on real conversations and leave with new insights and practical guidance for your own career. The views expressed on this podcast are those of its hosts, guests, and callers, and not those of Harvard Business Review. About Harvard Business Review: Harvard Business Review is the leading destination for smart management thinking. Through its flagship magazine, books, and digital content and tools published on HBR.org, Harvard Business Review aims to provide professionals around the world with rigorous insights and best practices to help lead themselves and their organizations more effectively and to make a positive impact. Learn more at www.hbr.org. Chapters: 00:00 – Intro 2:21 – Staying Motivated While Navigating Leadership Changes 8:36 – Defining the Types of Leaders You Want to Work With 14:12 – Finding Structure in Chaos 19:12 – Discovering New Motivations 26:47 – Motivation vs. Discipline 36:01 – Setting Your Own Milestones 46:28 – Takeaways 49:03 – Outro Follow Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/harv... https://www.facebook.com/HBR/ https://twitter.com/HarvardBiz https://www.instagram.com/harvard_bus... Sign up for Newsletters: https://hbr.org/email-newsletters #HarvardBusinessReview #leadershipcoaching #leadership Copyright © 2022 Harvard Business School Publishing. All rights reserved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Do I Lead My Team without Strategic Direction from the Top? 12 Jun 2023 --- He leads a team at a large global organization and gets positive feedback on their work. But he’s having trouble leading his team amid conflicting priorities and without direction from his senior leaders. Host Muriel Wilkins coaches him through how he can help his team have organizational impact, with or without more clarity from above. Further reading: - When Managing Through Ambiguity, Develop a Clear Vision: https://hbr.org/2020/11/when-managing-through-ambiguity-develop-a-clear-vision - How To Lead Through Ambiguity: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2021/06/08/how-to-lead-through-ambiguity/?sh=4168a4c01ee6 - 5 Reasons Your Employees Don’t Understand Your Company’s Vision: https://hbr.org/2021/09/5-reasons-your-employees-dont-understand-your-companys-vision - How to Teach Leaders to Navigate Complexity: https://instituteofcoaching.org/blogs/how-teach-leaders-navigate-complexity This episode originally aired on Coaching Real Leaders on April 24, 2023. Listen to more episodes of Coaching Real Leaders on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzAU8TPKsJua_hcLjT7aFzWcoqMnrp-z7 You can also listen to this episode on HBR.org, and wherever you listen to podcasts: - HBR.org (transcript available here): https://hbr.org/podcast/2023/04/how-do-i-lead-my-team-without-strategic-direction-from-the-top - Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-do-i-lead-my-team-without-strategic-direction-from/id1545444200?i=1000610409413 - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5gnbm9KN6yyI7f6Pk6EXRo?si=72b95068855d447d - Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/coaching-real-leaders/episode/how-do-i-lead-my-team-without-strategic-direction-from-the-top-302424215 - Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL2ZlZWRzLmhhcnZhcmRidXNpbmVzcy5vcmcvaGFydmFyZGJ1c2luZXNzL2NvYWNoaW5nLXJlYWwtbGVhZGVycw/episode/dGFnOmF1ZGlvLmhici5vcmcsMjAyMC0xMi0xNzpjb2FjaGluZy1yZWFsLWxlYWRlcnMuczUuMDAwMg?sa=X&ved=0CAUQkfYCahcKEwjYyYyBj7T_AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQNg Series Description: We all want to get to the next level of our career, but so many of us get stuck. Longtime leadership coach Muriel Wilkins takes you inside real-life leadership coaching sessions with high performers working to overcome professional challenges and grow as leaders. Listen in on real conversations and leave with new insights and practical guidance for your own career. The views expressed on this podcast are those of its hosts, guests, and callers, and not those of Harvard Business Review. About Harvard Business Review: Harvard Business Review is the leading destination for smart management thinking. Through its flagship magazine, books, and digital content and tools published on HBR.org, Harvard Business Review aims to provide professionals around the world with rigorous insights and best practices to help lead themselves and their organizations more effectively and to make a positive impact. Learn more at www.hbr.org. Chapters: 00:00 – Intro 2:21 – Staying Motivated While Navigating Leadership Changes 8:36 – Defining the Types of Leaders You Want to Work With 14:12 – Finding Structure in Chaos 19:12 – Discovering New Motivations 26:47 – Motivation vs. Discipline 36:01 – Setting Your Own Milestones 46:28 – Takeaways 49:03 – Outro Follow Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/harv... https://www.facebook.com/HBR/ https://twitter.com/HarvardBiz https://www.instagram.com/harvard_bus... Sign up for Newsletters: https://hbr.org/email-newsletters #HarvardBusinessReview #leadershipcoaching #leadership Copyright © 2022 Harvard Business School Publishing. All rights reserved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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This episode was published on June 17, 2026.

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How Do I Lead My Team without Strategic Direction from the Top? 12 Jun 2023 --- He leads a team at a large global organization and gets positive feedback on their work. But he’s having trouble leading his team amid conflicting priorities and...

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