The Magnanimous Strategy Workshop

Introduction

This workshop is designed to be a transformative event. It lifts the leadership team out of the urgent, day-to-day operational concerns and challenges them to think as corporate statesmen and stateswomen, focused on the long-term impact and character of their organization.

How to Use This Tool

This is a facilitated, half-day (4-hour) workshop. Success depends on careful preparation and a commitment to open, aspirational thinking.

• Who Should Attend: The CEO and their direct reports. In some cases, the Board Chair or the entire Board of Directors may be included. The key is to have the ultimate decision-makers in the room.

• Pre-work: One week prior to the workshop, send a briefing pack to all participants. It should include the company's purpose, values, and core strategy, along with a request for them to come prepared to discuss the "Personal Legacy" warm-up question.

• The Workshop: The facilitator will guide the team through the four modules of the workshop. The facilitator's role is to create a psychologically safe space, encourage bold thinking, and keep the team focused on the aspirational, long-term nature of the task.

• Output: A clearly defined, single "Legacy Goal" and a high-level commitment of resources and leadership focus to begin its pursuit.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

• Thinking Too Small: The facilitator must constantly guard against the team defaulting to incremental, operational goals. This is not the time to discuss next year's budget; it's the time to discuss the next decade's legacy.

• Cynicism or Premature Feasibility Testing: The initial brainstorming phase is about aspiration, not immediate practicality. The facilitator should gently park comments like "We could never afford that" or "The board would never approve," promising to address feasibility in the final module.

• Lack of a Clear Outcome: The workshop must end with a single, clearly articulated Legacy Goal and a concrete first commitment. Ending with a list of vague ideas is a failure.

Workshop Agenda

Module 1: Setting the Stage (30 mins)

• Facilitator's Opening: Welcome the team and frame the unique purpose of the session. "For the next four hours, we are stepping out of our roles as operators and into our roles as architects of this company's legacy. Our goal today is not to solve the problems of this quarter, but to define the promise of the next decade."

• Warm-Up Exercise: "Personal Legacy."

• Facilitator Prompt: "Before we discuss the company's legacy, let's briefly touch on our own. When you eventually retire from this company, what is the one thing you personally want to be remembered for by the people who worked with you?"

• Activity: A quick round-robin where each leader shares one sentence. This primes the group to think in terms of long-term impact and character.

Module 2: Defining Greatness (90 mins)

• Exercise 1: "Beyond Success."

• Facilitator Prompt: "Let's assume we achieve all our financial and strategic goals over the next ten years. We are wildly successful by every traditional measure. Now, look back from that future. What is the one thing we accomplished that makes you most proud? What did we do that was not just successful, but truly great?"

• Activity: 5 minutes of silent, individual reflection and note-taking, followed by a round-robin sharing of ideas. The facilitator captures all ideas on a whiteboard.

• Exercise 2: "The Admirable Competitor."

• Facilitator Prompt: "Think of any company, in any industry, that you truly admire for its positive impact on the world. This could be a competitor, a partner, or a company in a completely different field. What is it about their legacy that is so admirable? What can we learn from the character of their ambition?"

• Activity: Group discussion to identify the patterns of admirable, long-term leadership (e.g., "They solved a problem no one else would," "They put their principles ahead of short-term profit," "They created a new standard for their entire industry").

Module 3: Defining Our Legacy Goal (90 mins)

• Exercise 3: "Drafting Our Legacy Goal."

• Facilitator Prompt: "Based on our discussion, let's try to draft a single 'Legacy Goal' for our company. It should be aspirational, long-term (10+ years), and feel worthy of our organization at its best. It should make us feel a little bit nervous and very proud."

• Activity: Collaborative brainstorming and wordsmithing to create a single, powerful statement.

• Exercise 4: "The Legacy Goal Litmus Test."

• Facilitator Prompt: "Let's test our draft against the criteria for a truly magnanimous goal. For our proposed Legacy Goal, can we honestly say 'yes' to these questions?"

• Activity: The facilitator leads the group through the following checklist, displayed on a slide:

1. Is it Inspiring? Does it stir emotion and create a sense of pride?

2. Is it Honorable? Does it contribute positively to the world?

3. Is it Audacious? Is it big enough to require us to grow into the company that can achieve it?

4. Is it Authentic? Is it a genuine expression of our unique values and capabilities?

5. Is it Clear? Is it simple and easy to understand for every employee?

Module 4: Committing to Magnificence & Building Momentum (60 mins)

• Exercise 5: "The First Commitment."

• Facilitator Prompt: "A great goal without resources is just a dream. The practice of Magnificence is committing the necessary resources to a great work. What is the single most important 'first investment' of time, capital, or leadership focus we need to make this year to prove we are serious about this Legacy Goal?"

• Activity: A focused discussion to agree on a concrete, immediate next step and assign an executive sponsor.

• Exercise 6: "Anticipating Obstacles."

• Facilitator Prompt: "This journey will be long and difficult. What are the biggest obstacles—internal or external—that will stand in our way? Let's name them now so we can prepare for them."

• Activity: Brainstorm a list of potential obstacles (e.g., "short-term investor pressure," "internal resistance to change," "the need for new technology").

• Closing & Next Steps:

• Facilitator's Closing Statement: "Today, you have defined a North Star for the future of this company. This Legacy Goal is now the ultimate context for our strategy. It will guide our decisions, inspire our people, and define our character for years to come. The work of this workshop is complete, but the work of magnificence has just begun."

• Activity: The CEO thanks the team and confirms the immediate next steps and the executive sponsor's mandate.

Methodological Notes & Inspirations

This workshop is inspired by strategic planning methodologies focused on purpose-driven leadership and legacy-building, such as those found in the works of Jim Collins ("Big Hairy Audacious Goals"). It adapts these concepts through the specific lens of the classical virtues of Magnanimity and Magnificence, adding a crucial dimension of moral and ethical honor to the process of setting an audacious goal. The focus is not just on being big, but on being great.