Use the scenario below to think through how you would approach this problem. These exercises are great to discuss in groups, in a Management Team meeting or in the Lead.Think.Grow. forums.

You’ve just been promoted to lead a high-profile project in a commercial setting that involves multiple departments: marketing, product development, and customer support.

Each team has different priorities and ways of working. Marketing wants to launch a big campaign immediately to capitalize on market trends. Product development insists the product needs more refinement to avoid quality issues. Customer support warns that the current system can’t handle increased customer inquiries if the campaign goes live too soon.

As the strategic leader, how do you balance these conflicting priorities and decide the best course of action? What factors do you consider, and how do you align the teams toward a shared goal without causing frustration or delays?