CMI Unit 701 Strategic Leadership (H/617/6861) Assignment Brief 2026

Unit 701 Assignment Brief

Assignment Aim

The aim of this unit is to equip leaders with an in-depth understanding of strategic leadership within an organisational context. Leaders will explore the complexities of the role and the theoretical perspectives, approaches, behaviours and skills which can enhance their professional practice. The unit focuses on the leader’s ability to respond creatively to complex organisational challenges and understand how to set and deliver sustainable strategic goals.

Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria

LO1 – Understand the role and context for strategic leadership

Assessment criteria

1.1 Critically appraise the impact of organisational context on strategic leadership

1.2 Critically appraise the role of the strategic leader to set and realise organisational goals

Indicative content 

1.1 Organisational context: Purpose (strategic definition, vision, mission). Strategic narrative (historical perspective). Myths, stories. Systems, processes, structure (Johnson et al., 2011).  Governance (for example, public, private, third sector). Legal status of the organisation. Type (operational, local, international, global, project/programme based, departmental and strategic business unit). Levels of organisational maturity (Carnegie Mellon Maturity Index ‘CMMI’, 1990). External environment.

Impact: Organisational structure, strategic direction, organisational culture. Commitment to corporate social responsibility and sustainability. Equality, diversity and inclusion. Stakeholder (internal and external) expectations and existing perceptions. Ability to change and innovate. Organisational ethics. Obligations (for example, founding principles, charitable requirements such as commitment to offering specific services and support). Levels of leadership responsibility, autonomy, accountability.

1.2 Role of the strategic leader:

• Defines, shapes and communicates organisational purpose, vision, mission, culture and values. Develops the strategic direction of the organisation. Implements strategic plans.
• Shapes and manages the communications strategy for their area of responsibility
• Plans to establish strategic goals. Determine strategic options (for example, risk, financial, reputational, legal, management). Identifies, achieves, maintains competitive advantage (Hoskisson, Hitt and Ireland, 2004).
• Select and create strategy. Planned. Intended. Emergent. Opportunistic. Resource based view of the firm.

Scenario planning and rational planning model. Strategic Planning as a Top Down/Bottom up process. The Five Ps of Strategy. Deliberate and emergent strategies (Whittington, 2000).

• Leads the organisation ethically and legally in line with board and organisational governance. Diversity and Inclusion (Kirton et al. 2014). Definition and Values (Patrick and Kumar, 2012).
• Initiates, leads change and innovation. Different types and approaches of change (for example, incremental and transformational change). Identifies drivers of change and new ways of working across infrastructure, processes, people and culture and sustainability. Applies different theories/models of change (for example, Eight Step Change Model (Kotter, 2012), Radical Change within Traditional

Structures (Oswick, 2015)). Creates an environment for innovation and creativity. Selects and applies tools and techniques to support innovation and change.

• Drives continuous improvement. Selects and applies tools and techniques (for example, LEAN methods (Krafcik, 1988). Six Sigma (Pyzdek and Keller, 2018). Statistical Process Control ‘SPC’ (Salacinski, 2015)).
• Applies systems thinking to understand complexity (Checkland, 1999; Senge, 1990).
• Understands the importance of brand relationship and reputation management.
• Leads individuals and teams with impact (Belbin, 1981). Develops people and their capabilities.
• Collaborates with partners and manages complex relationships with multiple and diverse stakeholders/customers. Stakeholder management (Lindgreen el al. 2019). Responds to changing stakeholder/customer demands. Builds trust and rapport with stakeholders (for example, employees, customers, shareholders).
• Works with board and company structures.
• Works with corporate leadership structures (for example, the markets it operates in, roles and responsibilities, who its stakeholders are and what they require from the organisation and the sustainability agenda).
• Ensures financial sustainability and accountability. Manages resources and measures outcomes.

Able to anticipate and predict future opportunities and threats (for example, impact of disruptive technologies and mechanisms that challenge traditional business methods and practices). Horizon scanning (for example, STEEPLE and SWOT).

LO2 – Understand the behaviours and skills for strategic leadership

Assessment criteria

2.1 Critically appraise the leadership behaviours and skills required to deliver strategic goals

2.2 Critically reflect on how the principles of strategic leadership can be applied to respond to complex organisational challenges

Indicative content

2.1 Leadership behaviours and skills:

• Ethical approaches to leadership (Mendonca and Kanungo, 2007). Consistently role modelling exemplary behaviour to internal and external stakeholders (Mintzberg, 1973). Personal presence ‘Visibility’. Mental toughness (Lyons, 2015). Engenders empowerment. Drives a culture of resilience. Takes ownership and responsibility. Reflective practice.
• Acts with integrity, accountability, builds trust and rapport. Able to influence people (for example, intra/inter-organisational). Ability to act as an advocate and/or sponsor. Uses negotiation strategies. Applies social intelligence (Goleman, 2006). Ethical, authentic (George, 2003), Values equality, inclusion

and diversity. Empowers and engages stakeholders. Uses diplomacy. Manages conflict

(Thomas-Kilmann, 1997; Rahim, 2002). Builds confidence in others and enables people to take risks. Delegates effectively. Understands approaches to enabling mental health and wellbeing. Curious and innovative, exploring areas of ambiguity and complexity and finding creative solutions.

• Understands and applies legal and regulatory frameworks and governance for example, Equality Act (2010), Prevent Strategy (2011), Modern Slavery Act (2015), General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (2018), Companies Act (2006).
• Uses experiential knowledge, data and information to implement and manage change. Socialisation, Externalisation, Combination, Internalisation (SECI) Model (Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1996).
• Communicates with impact (uses personal presence and ‘storytelling’ to articulate and translate vision into operational strategies, demonstrates clarity in thinking and uses inspirational communication). Gives, receives and acts on feedback. Provides challenge at all levels. Organisational silence ‘why organisations don’t communicate’ (Morrison and Milliken, 2000). Different organisational communication strategies (Clampitt et al., 2000). Organisational gossip (Michelson and Mouly, 2000).
• Leadership theory: Value-driven Leadership (Gentile, 2014). Leading with integrity (Blanchard, 2011).

Resonant Leadership (McKee, Boyatzis and Goleman 2003). Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership

(Kouzes and Posner, 1987). Ethical Leadership (Mendonca and Kanungo, 2007). Leadership Styles (Goleman, 1995). Entrepreneurial Leadership (Roebuck, 2014). Authentic Leadership (Goffee and Jones, 2011). The Servant Leader (Greenleaf, 1977). Cross Cultural Leadership (Hofstede, 1991).

Transformational Leadership (Bass and Riggio, 2006). Start with Why (Sinek, 2011), Project GLOBE ‘Global Leadership and Organisational Behaviour Effectiveness’ (House et al, 2004).

2.2 Complex organisational challenges related to the internal and external environment:

Organisational change. Threat of new competitors. Diminishing resources. Changes in customer requirements (changing customer demands and trends). Technological change. Global markets. Performance targets. Shifting population. Loss or gain of a major client. Legal and regulatory change. Political change. Litigation. Toxic cultures (for example, bullying, sexism, me first attitudes, hostility, infighting). Impact of social change (for example, #MeToo movement/campaign, mental health and wellbeing campaigns, LGBTQ+).

Principles of strategic leadership:

• Application of leadership theory: Value-driven Leadership (Gentile, 2014). Leading with integrity

(Blanchard, 2011). Resonant Leadership (McKee, Boyatzis and Goleman 2003). Five Practices of

Exemplary Leadership (Kouzes and Posner, 1987). Ethical Leadership (Mendonca and Kanungo, 2007).

Leadership Styles (Goleman, 1995). Entrepreneurial Leadership (Roebuck, 2014). Authentic Leadership

(Goffee and Jones, 2011). The Servant Leader (Greenleaf, 1977). Cross Cultural Leadership (Hofstede, 1991). Transformational Leadership (Bass and Riggio, 2006). Start with Why (Sinek, 2011), Project GLOBE ‘Global Leadership and Organisational Behaviour Effectiveness’ (House et al, 2004).

• Application of change management theory and approaches: Different types of change (for example, incremental and transformational change). Selection of theories/models of change (for example, Eight Step Change Model (Kotter, 2012), Radical Change within Traditional Structures (Oswick, 2015)). Creates an environment for innovation and creativity.

Application of decision-making tools and techniques: Response to stable and Volatile Uncertain Complex and Ambiguous Environments (for example, Ethical decision making (Barr and Campbell, 2011). The Combat Estimate (7 Questions) (Ministry of Defence). Six Thinking Hats technique (De Bono, 1985). Decision trees. Reflective practice (for example, Reflective Cycle (Gibbs, 1995), Learning Cycle (Kolb, 1984). Using emotional intelligence (Goleman, 1995)).

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