Strategic Leadership System™ (SLS)

TRAILMAKER SLS™ is a unique leadership system that ensures faster, more engaging, and more consistent execution of strategic change.

Increase Your Strategy Execution Power

TRAILMAKER SLS™ increases the client’s Strategy Execution Power, which is driven by commitment, capabilities and leadership.

The Strategic Leadership System™ Sets Your Strategy in Motion

TRAILMAKER SLS™ was developed to solve a large and costly problem: 90% of strategies fail, are delayed, or are not implemented at all. In most cases, the problem is not the strategy, but its execution.

Organizations are geared to repeating what they already know. Daily operational leadership is often in excellent shape and the execution power in the daily business is on a high level.

Executing strategic change is about navigating toward something new and uncertain. Existing leadership systems do not adequately support strategic leadership. Mere planning and follow-up is not enough.

Proven in 400+ Projects

The SLS is based on a broad empirical dataset derived from more than 400 client engagements and the experience of over 1,500 leaders.

By Leaders, for Leaders

The SLS was designed by leaders for leaders and inspired by the absence and need for a fit-for-purpose strategic leadership system.

SLS Secures the Direction and Momentum of Your Strategic Change

Trailmaker SLS secures movement on a strategic level, focusing on step changes.

It ensures impact of strategic action and supports top management in looking forward and steering.

Trailmaker SLS also assures leadership learning instead of consulting and thereby truly increases organization’s own strategic performance.

TRAILMAKER SLS Is a Powerful System Is Made Up of the Following Components:

Alignment & Movement

A decision-making process that secures commitment to same execution.

The method guarantees both immediate momentum and sufficient altitude so that leadership and strategy execution focus on the most important and impactful decisions for results.

Analytics & Improvement

Continuous improvement of execution power occurs by identifying bottlenecks slowing down strategy execution.

Consistent analysis, identification of the root causes and bottlenecks removal will start increasing organization’s power to execute strategic change. The more powerful the execution engine, the faster the execution. The client can also compare their results to the Execution Power Index benchmark data from over 1,500 leaders.

Leadership Practice

Strategy execution must not be a one-time effort but should become a genuinely established leadership practice and system.

Strategic leadership practice is deployed through a four-level Strategic Leadership Tracker™ (SLT).

Executive Dashboard

TRAILMAKER SLS™ includes metrics that compile and present continuously updated key information and trends from the leadership system, for example for executive team or board meetings.

Be the Change

In addition to providing you TRAILMAKER SLS™, our mission is primarily to be the catalyst and enabler.

To fully internalize and adopt a new leadership practice, our belief is that you really need to do it yourself and not overly depend on external partners.

We show you the ropes, get you started, make sure you are steadily on your way and train your internal Strategic Leadership Champion to be the process ambassador.

Naturally we stay nearby for periodical check-points and reviews to make sure you make progress and that your strategic execution power improves.

TRAILMAKER Strategic Leadership System™ (SLS) is suitable for a wide variety of strategic change situations for organizations who aspire to maximize the probability of success. The same philosophy, methodology, and system are applied in all versions of Trailmaker SLS^TM, but adapted appropriately for different strategic leadership contexts.