Why Bold Leaders Reset Their Strategy Every Three Years
- Feb 11
- 2 min read
By Steve Heather
After thirty years in private company leadership, I’ve learned some of the riskiest times are not when things are falling apart, but when everything looks fine on the surface.
Results are steady and teams run smoothly.
Things just feel comfortably familiar. And that’s exactly when complacency quietly walks through the door.
I discovered this the hard way. Our strategy had been reliable for years, but something underneath had shifted. We were far from failing, but we weren’t stretching. The market had moved, expectations had evolved, and our once-brilliant plan was now quietly ageing.
That’s when I adopted one of the most important leadership disciplines of my career: refreshing strategy every three years, no matter how well things appear to be going.
Three years, as we sit here today in 2025, seems to be the sweet spot. Long enough to give ideas a fair run, but short enough to avoid drifting into irrelevance. Too many leaders hold tight to strategies built for conditions that no longer exist. Not because their plan is wrong, but because it feels comfortable. And comfort is rarely where bold moves originate.
And the obvious caveat here is where significant market dislocations/disruptions occur, that demand immediate action. If for example, your strategy is built around receiving government subsidies for certain services and the government withdraws those subsidies, don’t wait three minutes, let alone three years.
The three-year rhythm brought solid structure to what had previously been slightly reactive. We booked the review into the calendar like a non-negotiable appointment. Before walking into the room, we gathered customer feedback, internal frustrations, early signals from the market, and the data that cut through assumptions.
We asked direct questions. Usually through the simple universal lens of SWOT:
Right here, right now, today.
What are our strengths?
What are our weaknesses?
What are opportunities?
What are our threats?
Then came the harder part. The culling.
Instead of emerging with a wish list, we chose only those moves that would really matter. A handful of priorities, with clear owners and clear timeframes. But the most confronting lesson wasn’t about process. It was personal.
Every strategy reflects its leader. Revisiting the plan meant revisiting myself. My habits, my blind spots, the areas I’d unconsciously protected. I learned that strong leadership isn’t just about having a long-term vision. It’s about being willing to challenge the parts of that vision that no longer serve the future.
That’s why it’s often important to have someone outside your organisation assist with the process.
Markets are irritatingly restless, but as humans we seek comfort. Outsiders care less and can help stop our instinctive urge to drift back towards comfort.
The leaders who thrive globally, across industries and cultures, share one trait: they stay alert. They pay attention. They refuse to let success harden into routine. They build cycles of renewal into their leadership.
So, if I could offer one strategic move to any leader reading this, it’s this: every three years, stop, look up, and ask whether the path you’re on still leads to where you want to go.
If it doesn’t, choose again. Boldly.
This single habit has shaped every meaningful stride in my career. It might just shape yours.
— Steve Heather
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