In many disciplines there are professional maturity models. Sometimes they apply to an organization (see Capability Maturity Model for Software) and sometimes they apply to individuals (see the work done for architects done by Bredemeyer Consulting). In both cases, they trace the progress from an early development stage to a fully mature stage. The greater effectiveness comes as one moves toward the latter stages.

I have not seen such a formal maturity model for strategy leaders though I can infer one from my experiences. Here are the 5 stages that occur to me with some characteristics. What do you think?

1.  Getting Started – (no formal training, limited scope, no specific tools, department level thinking, part time focus, “promoted” from product management)

2.  Named Role – (limited training, group rather than personal credibility, department level thinking, mostly full time role)

3.  Known Owner – (analytical methods training, competitive awareness, recognized within business, initial external presence, access to decision makers)

4.  Leader – (mastery of multiple analytical methods, regular consultation with business leaders, key decision maker, significant external visibility, shaper of competitive responses)

5.  Visionary – (teacher of strategic analytical methods, high external visibility, influences adjacent strategies, considered key asset to company, well known in industry)