Most likely we’ve all seen a list here and there of new words Merriam-Webster officially adds to the dictionary each year. For 2017 (so far), here are a few new additions: airball, binge-watch, listicle, photobomb and yowza. Though these, and others recently included, help bring awareness to the form and usage of new words in the English language, 2017 needs another addition – stratical.

Having spent nearly 15 years facilitating leadership development programs for mid-level managers, and as many leaders have come to personally learn, the ability to navigate between being a tactical manager and a strategic leader is a difficult skill to develop in one’s career journey. Bringing balance between tactically focusing on the day-to-day business, as well as strategically stepping back and gaining a broader perspective of the bigger picture, is a common leadership conundrum. In short, an effective leader must manage and embrace the polarity of tactics and strategy to reap the benefits of both. Failure to do so will result in an over-focus on one, which ultimately leads to the detriment of the other. In essence, I’d argue that successful leaders mustn’t limit themselves to being tactical or strategic, but instead be stratical.

Whether it’s leading small teams or global organizations, a stratical approach can foster a mindset where both the short-term and long-term goals are important. A stratical perspective can inspire critical thinking as well as action-taking in pursuit of achieving personal, team and organization success. Furthermore, it’s a mindset that can support leaders in managing chronic organizational issues which historically are unsolvable with an either/or approach.

So, Merriam-Webster, if you’re scanning social media for any new submissions, I’ve got a option for you – stratical!