Be More Strategic: Why the smartest leaders still struggle – and what to do about it

Strategic thinking is a practical leadership skill. This session explores how founders and leaders can think ahead, make better decisions and build the habits needed to act with greater purpose and impact. 

This session is based on Charlie Curson’s work with leaders, teams and organisations, and his book Be More Strategic. Charlie helps people and organisations think strategically, act decisively and deliver more meaningful impact.  

For founders and business leaders, the challenge is often not a lack of ambition or effort. It is that they are pulled into constant reaction: urgent decisions, operational demands, short-term pressure and competing priorities. 

This session will explore how leaders can escape the reactive cycle and build the strategic capabilities needed to think ahead, influence outcomes and make smarter decisions.  

It will focus on practical tools, behavioural insight and real-world relevance, helping attendees understand how to move from firefighting to more deliberate leadership and stronger long-term choices.  

Who should attend

This session is for founders, CEOs, senior leaders, operators and ambitious professionals who want to become more strategic in how they lead, decide and build. 

It will be especially relevant for people who feel stretched by competing priorities, are making important decisions about growth or direction, or want to step back from day-to-day noise and think more clearly about what they are really trying to achieve. 

Why it’s relevant

Many founders still approach fundraising with assumptions that no longer reflect how investors are making decisions. 

In a more selective market, the gap between what founders believe is investable and what investors will actually underwrite can waste time, weaken processes and reduce the overall quality of opportunities coming to market. 

This session is relevant because better alignment around underwriting reality helps businesses prepare more effectively, improves investor conversations and raises the standard of what is presented as truly investment-ready. 

What you’ll take away

You will leave with a clearer understanding of what it means to be more strategic in practice, and how to move away from reactive decision-making towards clearer, more deliberate leadership. 

The session will provide practical ideas for building strategic capability, improving judgement, influencing outcomes and making smarter decisions. 

You will also gain a stronger sense of how to apply strategic thinking to your own leadership, business decisions, career choices and personal direction.