When I say 'Strategic Leadership' I am not talking about a leader that develops strategy; I am talking about a strategy for leading people. When I say Happiness I am referring to the concepts, methodology, and framework presented throughout hopelesshappiness.com. Specifically I will be drawing from the Ingredients for Happiness as presented in this previous post, and other elements as presented on The Periodic Happiness Table of Elements.

Leaders are meant to inspire and guide us with great vision and ideas. For many it seems to come natural, but for most (even most of the 'natural born leaders') it is a skill learned and improved upon like any other. As you will see below, the same construct that has been presented as a philosophy of hope for Happiness, readily serves as a roadmap capable of providing the feedback and discipline necessary for driving growth and success. As it is with Happiness, regardless of leadership skills, there will be the ever-present constants of good times (light) and bad (dark) that will challenge and create the (hopefully infrequent, yet) unavoidable setbacks and delays; but also like Happiness if we choose principled, sturdy guides and pay attention to the signs along the way, it can be a rewarding trip. The hypotheses, variables, crutches, and basic premise, proofs, arguments, and beliefs as presented in The Periodic Happiness Table of Elements also easily transfer into a strategic leadership framework.

Simply put, whether you are mentoring one individual or leading a large organization comprised of thousands of people and hundreds of units, you can follow the same plan previously suggested for increasing the length and frequency of your RMH (Relative Momentary Happiness). We will focus on the Ingredients:

1. Pleasure / Comfort - For an organization this translates to stability and security. For an established organization this may already be in place, but will still need to be provided for new members as they join your organization. Additionally, (as it is with Happiness) you cannot get too comfortable. Overindulgence is a road leading to disaster; (as illustrated by several so-called business leaders in 2008). Moderate and Stay Sharp.
2. Enjoyment - Don't confuse this with Pleasure. Enjoyment is the realization of the joy of challenge. Think about how you have felt in the midst of or immediately after accomplishing a difficult task or project. As a leader focusing on an individual, you must provide this achievable challenge. The same is true for an organization, with some additional complexities, including analysis, interpretation, and communication of the internal processes necessary for execution.
3. Human Interaction - This seems obvious but it cannot be cursory. Whether talking to an individual or a group, and be they members, prospective members, customers, employees, or any other interested party or stakeholder, you must be sincere. Empathy, compassion, and attentive listening will also enhance beneficial Human Interaction.
4. Learning - Learn from your mistakes and from your victories. Study internal workings, look at yourself and your organization from an objective, external perspective, and benchmark yourself and your organization against similar organizations or undertakings. Understand the big picture.
5. Growth - This can refer to the obvious growth in size, membership, geography, profits, or other measurable results; or it could refer to a more subjective, esoteric internal growth of organizational culture and individual creativity; or ideally it could refer to both. Rapid growth can be problematic; proceed with caution.
6. Attention and Focus - This is a natural outcome of previous stages and should typically include discernment of organizational and/or individual strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities; and from this a leader should guide controlled attention and focus to those areas that will provide the greatest dividends.
7. Complexity - Broadening the organizational and individual perspective will benefit both. It is logical that as we gain stability, handle challenges, communicate effectively, remain open to change and learning, acknowledge growth and improvement, and learn to focus, we will also be able to efficiently organize and handle complexities in a way that will actually clarify goals and vision.
8. Depth - Solidify roots and connections across all facets of your organization or undertaking by cycling through the stages above as needed. Utilize your chosen values and guiding principles to drill down for a deeper understanding.

As stated above it is very important to cycle through the stages in order to reap the greatest benefits from this process, though you should gain some comfort and understanding with each current level before moving to the next. It is not recommended to skip stages. You can step back as needed, but shortcuts are not allowed. You can even stop at or after stage 3 and have some success, though stopping at stage 1 or stage 2 will likely result in failure or (at best) some short-term success. Additionally, as with Happiness and Truth, you will never attain an ultimate complexity or depth. There is always room for three-dimensional growth.

Though it may sound contradictory, you should let thoughtful, intuitive judgment guide you through this Leadership process.