No word better captures the essence of the strategist than deliberate.

Strategists are deliberate in who they are, how they think, what they do and why they matter.

Not always right, strategists are religiously reasoned. They are intentional. They are studied. They are choiceful. And they are next-minded—always striving to anticipate what may or may not come next. Strategists make decisions before decisions make them.   

If they have a creed, it’s this: Strategists do things by design, not by default.

Strategists live by the following code: