Driving Strategic Impact: An Interview with Angela Lee

Structured problem-solving is fundamentally about clarity; being explicit about what decision actually needs to be made before jumping into analysis. It helps leaders break complex challenges into manageable components and focus on insight rather than noise. 

Today’s leaders operate under compressed timelines, abundant data, and real uncertainty. A structured, consulting-style approach provides a repeatable way to make sound strategic decisions in these conditions, when the path forward is not obvious, and the cost of misalignment or delay is high. 

Many strategy programs emphasize analytical rigor, while leadership programs often focus on interpersonal skills. Driving Strategic Impact deliberately sits at the intersection of the two. 

The program focuses on strategic judgment—how leaders frame problems, decide where to focus, synthesize insight, and lead action in real organizational settings. Rather than treating tools as abstractions, participants practice how decisions are actually made under time pressure, uncertainty, and competing priorities.

Participants learn a structured, consulting-style problem-solving framework used in real strategy consulting engagements—from defining and structuring problems through analysis, synthesis, and communication. 

The emphasis is not on memorizing templates. It is about understanding when and how to apply these tools and how to adapt them across a wide range of strategic challenges, rather than treating them as one-size-fits-all solutions.

Most strategic decisions are made without perfect information. Rather than trying to eliminate uncertainty, the program helps participants become more confident operating within it. 

Participants learn how to identify the most critical uncertainties, design analysis that cuts through noise, and make tradeoffs explicit. The goal is not certainty, but decisions that are well-reasoned, clearly communicated, and actionable despite ambiguity.

The framework applies to a wide range of initiatives, including growth strategy, market entry, product or portfolio prioritization, organizational redesign, and transformation efforts. 

Participants are encouraged to bring real challenges from their own organizations into the classroom, making the learning immediately relevant and transferable to their day-to-day work.

Analysis alone does not create impact. Impact comes from turning insight into aligned action. 

The program emphasizes synthesis and communication, helping participants move from analysis to a clear point of view. Participants practice framing recommendations for senior stakeholders, making tradeoffs explicit, and communicating insight in ways that build clarity and confidence rather than overwhelm audiences with detail. Influence without authority is a core theme throughout.

Influence begins with clarity. The program encourages participants to think deliberately about who the real decision-makers are, what different stakeholders care about, and how recommendations need to be shaped to land. 

Through cases, exercises, and discussion, participants learn how to build alignment without relying on authority alone—by grounding recommendations in insight, anticipating objections, and communicating with intent.

Driving Strategic Impact is designed for mid- to senior-level leaders responsible for shaping strategy, making high-stakes decisions, and driving execution in complex organizational environments. 

Participants typically have significant experience and are looking to strengthen how they think, decide, and influence—rather than learn introductory strategy concepts.

The experience is highly interactive. Participants engage in cases, structured exercises, small-group work, and real-time feedback throughout the program, with frequent opportunities to apply ideas to real strategic challenges drawn from their own organizations. 

Rather than passive learning, the program emphasizes practice—testing ideas, refining judgment, and learning through discussion with peers facing similar strategic challenges.

The core content, structure, and learning objectives are consistent across locations. What differs is the mix of participants and perspectives in the room. 

Each location offers a distinct balance of industries, geographies, and organizational contexts, enriching discussion without altering the substance of the program.