Strategy: The Word of the Year in Higher Ed (and for Good Reason) in 2025

If you’re a regular reader of Community Insights, you know I’m not a fan of higher education’s obsession with “strategic planning” as a method for setting direction. If you’re new here, feel free to revisit our discussion on the difference between strategy and strategic planning. The distinction is critical and increasingly relevant as the world around us becomes faster, more fragmented, and less predictable.

In the consulting world, “strategy” is suddenly everywhere. It feels like the word of the year, the buzzword in boardrooms, and the topic on everyone’s LinkedIn feed. But unlike many trendy phrases that flare and fade, the focus on strategy isn’t hype. It’s a reflection of the reality leaders face today. Life in higher education is coming at us fast. Policies shift overnight (literally), funding environments change without warning, and the political, social, and economic context is increasingly volatile. In this environment, simple planning just doesn’t cut it.

Strategy helps us make deliberate choices amid uncertainty, focusing resources where they matter most, and creating optionality and open doors for the future. It requires time to think, study, and understand the “battlefield” you’re operating in, something far too often neglected in higher ed. Unlike planning, which is most useful for managing predictable, near-term tasks—think vacations, events, or academic calendars—strategy is essential when the terrain itself is unpredictable.

The difference is subtle but profound. Planning is backward-looking: it assumes a known environment and a reasonable level of control. Strategy is forward-looking: it assumes uncertainty, ambiguity, and the inevitability of change. Planning asks, “How do we execute this well?” Strategy asks, “What are the right moves to make in the first place?” The former can be delegated; the latter cannot. If you are short on time and getting pulled in many directions it requires informed thought partnership and sometimes an outside perspective; someone who can help see what’s happening beyond the immediate horizon, connect the dots, and make smarter, bolder choices.

This is where tools like the Research Policy Atlas come in. Leaders don’t have time to sift through every piece of policy, every legislative action, or every executive order that might affect their department or school. The Atlas aggregates and contextualizes federal actions relevant to research, allowing leaders to focus on what matters most. Combined with thoughtful discussion and scenario exploration, it’s a practical way to translate strategy from abstract concept to action.

In higher education, there’s often an unspoken assumption that “strategic planning” is synonymous with “strategy.” It is not. Planning tells you where you are going in the next quarter or year. Strategy tells you where you should aim in a world where the rules of the game may change tomorrow. The institutions and those at the helm that confuse the two risk becoming reactive, defensive, and ultimately, irrelevant.

The current zeitgeist—the speed, fragmentation, and instability of our environment—demands strategy. Leaders need time and support to think strategically, not just operationally. They need to understand trade-offs, anticipate risks, and identify opportunities others may overlook. They need partners who can challenge assumptions, provide alternative perspectives, and equip them with the right data to act decisively.

That’s the work I do with leaders in research-focused institutions: helping them see beyond the immediate crises and navigate toward a more resilient, future-ready position. It’s not glamorous. It IS about creating a sustainable advantage in a complex, unpredictable environment.

In short, if you hear “strategy” buzzing in conversations this year, pay attention. It’s more than a trend. It’s a necessity. And in higher education, where change often arrives in fits and starts but with enormous impact, the organizations that master strategy, thoughtful, informed, disciplined strategy, will be the ones best positioned to thrive.

So, as we continue in this era of speed, uncertainty, and fragmentation, remember planning is for events. Strategy is for the future. The question is whether your department or institution has the time to think strategically and whether you have the right partners to help make it happen.

Are you a leader overwhelmed by the pace and volume of change? I can help you manage the cognitive load by providing informed thought partnership, tools like the Research Policy Atlas, and guidance to focus on the right choices in an unpredictable world. Let’s work together to make strategy actionable, not just aspirational or something you wish you had more time for.

Atul Gwande on how a coach (or thought partner) can get you unstuck
Watch the full video: How to break the hidden limits of expertise