What’s Our Strategy? Are the Three Most Frustrating Words in Leadership

Why when you're tired of saying something, it's when others hear it for the first time

Welcome to Frank Takeaways. I'm Frank, writing the notes worth keeping from decades at companies like Slack, Etsy, and Google. I run a coaching practice dedicated to guiding leaders through the tricky stuff of building products and high-performing teams.

Join my referral program and earn 1:1 coaching sessions by sharing Frank Takeaways with others - start with just three referrals.
—

I still feel that pit in my stomach when someone asks: "What's our strategy?" After years in leadership, you'd think I'd be immune to it. But I'm not alone – I've watched countless other leaders have the same reaction. Their shoulders slump (just like mine), their energy drains (just like mine), and everything screeches to a halt—it's the corporate equivalent of a record scratch in their symphony. The question stings twice: either there's an unknown strategy (painful) or there isn't one (soul-crushing). I've lived both scenarios.

Have you ever played an album so many times it feels less like music and more li…