What makes a leader truly strategic? And why do so many organisations confuse strategy with planning, tactics or endless PowerPoint decks?

In this episode of the Black Belt in Leadership, Aslak sits down with strategist, coach and facilitator Charlie Curson, whose new book Be More Strategic breaks down strategic thinking into practical, human skills.

Charlie has worked with leaders across more than thirty industries, including Microsoft, Unilever, Volkswagen Group, Experian and Barclays. Together we explore what great strategists actually do differently and how leaders at any level can build stronger strategic habits.

You will learn:
- The real difference between strategy, planning and tactics
- Why self-awareness is the foundation of strategic thinking
- How to “see around corners” by reading signals and widening your perspective
- How assumptions quietly sabotage decision-making
- Why creativity is essential for modern strategy
- How to make bold decisions without perfect information
- Simple daily practices to become more strategic in work and life

Charlie also shares practical tools like pre-mortems, scenario thinking and decision rules that help leaders stay calm, focused and adaptive in uncertainty. Aslak brings lessons from martial arts on preparation, presence and clarity to show how strategy becomes a mindset.

If you want strategy to be clear, human and actionable, this episode is for you.

Links

Be More Strategic (book): https://www.teammandarin.com/be-more-strategic-book
Team Mandarin (Charlie’s company): https://www.teammandarin.com
The Black Belt in Leadership: https://theblackbeltinleadership.com

Charlie Curson, Strategic Advisor, Leadership Coach, Author of Be More Strategic

Charlie Curson is a globally experienced strategist, advisor and accredited leadership coach with more than twenty-five years of experience helping leaders, teams and organisations think and act more strategically. He has worked with over 250 organisations across more than thirty industries, including Microsoft, Unilever, L’Oréal, Volkswagen Group, Experian and Barclays.

Charlie specialises in making strategy practical, human and accessible. His work blends cutting-edge theory with real-world application, helping leaders develop strategic clarity, challenge assumptions, improve decision-making and build long-term impact. He is known for his ability to simplify complex problems, facilitate high-stakes conversations and guide leaders toward more intentional, future-focused thinking.

His new book, Be More Strategic, breaks the mystery of strategy into twelve essential practices and introduces a powerful development framework that anyone can learn. It teaches leaders how to deepen self-awareness, cultivate open-mindedness, develop strategic capabilities and scale their impact at work and in life.

Charlie is the founder of Team Mandarin, where he advises global organisations, facilitates leadership development programmes and coaches executives to become more conscious, creative and effective strategic thinkers.

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