Keep Jargon from Hurting Your Strategy

Dec. 1, 2025 - Harvard Business Review

---

Strategy doesn’t fail for lack of ambition. It fails when words meant to unify instead divide. The obligation of leadership is ensuring language acts as the bridge between vision and execution. That means treating words as infrastructure—the scaffolding that supports every decision, action, and behavior inside the organization. When leaders choose clarity over abstraction, they reduce the risk of drift.

Ultimately, the real test of strategy is how faithfully it is lived out across the organization. Your company strategy should inspire, energize, and align employees. But when strategy language is too vague (hello, “market leader” and “agility”), teams interpret it through personal or cultural filters. The result? Misalignment, drift, and wasted effort. To avoid this, you need to make strategy specific enough to guide action — without stifling creativity. Here’s how.  

Illustrate what strategic terms look like in action. Don’t assume there’s a shared understanding of phrases like “customer-first.” Offer clear, flexible examples of what these terms look like in everyday work. This helps anchor intent in tangible behavior without resorting to rigid rules. 

Translate strategy into departmental realities. Aspirational language only works when it connects to specific roles. “Growth” or “excellence” means different things in finance, operations, and HR. Tailor strategic language to show how each team contributes to big-picture goals, reinforcing relevance and direction. 

Define observable, measurable behaviors. If you want strategic language to shape execution, tie it to actions people can see and do. Clarify what behaviors demonstrate “collaboration” or “innovation” in practice. This makes strategy real—not just inspiring, but useful. 

Source: This tip is adapted from “Jargon Is Hurting Your Strategy,” by Andrea Belk Olson.