ABSTRACT
Despite a plethora of literature on leadership, little of this focuses upon strategy. Given that one of the roles of leaders is to set strategic goals and provide for the underpinning processes and resources required to attain them, this is a curious oversight. This is particularly the case in the British political system, wherein prime ministers alone can establish strategic direction for the governments they lead. This chapter explores their approaches to doing so, considering the role of knowledge, aptitude and resources in the design and execution of strategy. Assessment is made of the contribution of cabinet committees by comparison with project management tools like Scrum already widely used operationally in British government. There is also a case study of the relationship between the ideational framework of Brexit and strategic management. The chapter concludes with recommendations for better preparation, development, scrutiny and accountability of strategy design and implementation.
