Not everyone knows Dr. June Jackson Christmas’s name, but fellow leaders in her field are fully aware of how her contributions made other peoples’ lives better. She was was a pioneering Black woman psychiatrist and one of the first scholars and practitioners to address the impact of social and economic factors on mental health.

Women’s History Month is always a chance to celebrate groundbreaking leaders, and for Symphonic Strategies, Nobel Peace Laureate Leymah Gbowee is not just the force behind an entire women’s movement, but a prime example of a symphonic leader.

Every strategy needs people who are willing and capable of playing their part in its implementation. That’s why I like to say that every strategy needs a cast.

I spent the last month writing about the importance of having a destination and a road map. There’s more to be said. We all know that once we begin a journey we’re forced to confront the terrain ahead of us. Even the best road map can fail to get some people to the destination. That’s because a road map still requires a measure of strategy—in real time.

In an earlier post, I wrote that a leader’s role is to articulate a destination for others. I also cautioned leaders to be responsible and to bring a road map with them. Let’s talk about the design elements that constitute an effective road map—for yourself and for your organization.

Way back in the day, when my parents wanted to take me and my sister on a road trip, they would call up the local AAA rep and request a road map. We’re talking late 1970s now—the days when the Afro pick held priority in the back pocket of my jeans and everyone cool was sportin’ white Converse shoes.