Analysis is the business arena is directly linked to strategy development, which will be the focus of this discussion. Thinking and acting strategically is the end result of analytic process that should be mastered by every executive and manager. A strategic plan for an organization moves from an external and internal research effort (scanning these environments) to the development of a corporate mission statement, a set of measurable objectives, a listing of specific strategies that will be used to achieve objectives, a listing of policies for guiding decision-making, and a delineation of necessary programs, budgets and procedures without which outcomes are impossible to achieve (Wheelen and Hunger 20-22). Strategies included in the plan must be identified at several levels: the corporate level for overall direction, the business level for specific business units or products, and the functional level for specific units. At each level, specificity in terms of objectives and policies is needed (Schultz 1).
According to Mintzberg, Ahlstand, and Lampel (2-3), there are ten general approaches to strategic management, of which three will be considered in this analysis. These are the design school, the formal school, and the positional school, along with reference to the process of leveraging as a tool to maximize the allocation of resources and to deploy leadership skills throughout the organization. Leveraging as described by Crom and Bertels (1) incorporates the competencies of proactive leadership with change agency to achieve organizational transformations, which are especially important in climates of uncertainty also characterized by hyper-competition. Schultz (1) sees leveraging as integral to the strategic planning process in that leveraging moves resources to areas of critical necessity and builds on existing competencies and skills; leaders leverage their own competencies and those of subordinates to achieve goals ...