# Janine Stratford: Strategic Thinking & What Got You Here Won't Get You There | Episode 166

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-school-of-wellbeing-with-meg-durham-4350714/janine-stratford-strategic-thinking-what-got-you-here-won-t-get-you-there-episode-166
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-school-of-wellbeing-with-meg-durham-4350714/janine-stratford-strategic-thinking-what-got-you-here-won-t-get-you-there-episode-166.md
Podcast: [The School of Wellbeing with Meg Durham](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-school-of-wellbeing-with-meg-durham-4350714)
Published: 2026-06-01T18:00:07+00:00
Episode link: https://open-mind-education.mykajabi.com/podcasts/the-school-of-wellbeing-with-meg-durham
Audio file: https://audio4.redcircle.com/episodes/7fb1a02f-a0d3-414b-97ef-ca4937a146f1/stream.mp3
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Duration seconds: 2308

## Resource

“When we skip the thinking, we often create more work for ourselves.” Janine Stratford When was the last time you gave yourself time to think? In this episode, Meg Durham sits down with Janine Stratford , author of Leading for Tomorrow, Today: School Leadership with Purpose, Alignment and Lasting Impact , to explore the role of strategic thinking in the day-to-day reality of school life. This conversation moves beyond strategic plans and leadership meetings, focusing instead on the ability of individual educators to think strategically within the pace and pressure of everyday school environments. Together, they unpack the difference between fast, reactive thinking and slower, more considered thinking, and why the pressure to respond quickly can often lead to rework, frustration and unnecessary emotional load. ---- Chapter Markers: 00:00 Introduction 02:00 What sparked Janine’s work in strategic thinking 05:00 The cost of quick decision-making 07:00 What strategic thinking actually is 10:00 Common myths about strategic thinking 14:00 The benefits of thinking strategically 21:00 Why leaders struggle to step back 26:00 Creating space for strategic thinking 36:00 What to do in your 20-minute thinking block 42:00 Final reflections ---- Reflection Prompts: I notice that I tend to rush decisions when… One area of my work that could benefit from more strategic thinking is… If I created 20 minutes to think this week, I would focus on… ---- Episode 166 Shownotes - Click here ---- Janine Stratford - Website | LinkedIn | Book | Facebook ---- Meg Durham - Website | LinkedIn | Instagram Weekly Newsletter - Subscribe here Speaker Booking - Complete the booking form to start the conversation. ---- Your Questions Answered: What is strategic thinking in schools? Strategic thinking in sc…

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