What is a strategic manager?

Also known as a top manager, the strategic manager is a professional responsible for defining and steering the company’s overall strategy. It develops a long-term vision, identifies growth levers and coordinates the actions to be deployed to achieve the targeted objectives. One of its main missions is to ensure that the decisions made remain consistent with the vision of the organization.

He is different from the operational manager, or middle manager, who, close to the field, manages the daily life and the operational teams. The reference framework for the manager of an operational unit (RNCP 36890, level 7) describes this articulation precisely: the manager “steers and supports the transformation of his unit in order to meet the challenges that organizations face. He implements the company’s strategy within his unit, deploys the necessary resources for its implementation and contributes to value creation.”

In addition to strategic and operational management, there are many other managerial styles, such as values-based management, trust-based management, project-based management and agile management.

The 5 key roles of a strategic manager

1. Define a clear and engaging vision

The first role of the strategic manager is to define the vision, mission and objectives of the company over time. What is the purpose of the organization? What are its key values? Where will it be in 5, 10 or 15 years? What are its main growth levers? He clarifies the direction of the company and designs, in collaboration with the decision-makers, a strong, clear and inspiring vision that will guide all decisions in the medium and long term.

In concrete terms, this involves an assessment of the organization’s environment : strengths, weaknesses, competitive landscape, market trends. A manager who prepares a three-year strategic plan will, for example, integrate the work of the CSR Platform of the High Commission for Strategy and the Plan on Responsible Business (September 2025) to integrate the CSR dimension into his vision. He will then translate this vision into a roadmap with concrete actions prioritized.

Concrete example — The manager of an industrial mid-sized company that anticipates the decarbonization of its sector sets a “net zero 2035” vision, identifies three levers (energy efficiency of sites, redesign of the product portfolio, low-carbon sourcing), and engages in a dialogue with its business units to translate this ambition into a three-year roadmap.

2. Drive the company’s strategy

The role of the top manager is also to steer the proper implementation of the strategy on the ground. He federates and coordinates employees around the vision defined upstream and supervises the deployment of actions within the given deadlines.

It is also responsible for allocating the resources necessary to achieve the objectives : budget management in collaboration with the CFO, material resources, human resources, training and skills development. The Practical Guide to Skills Management published by the CMVRH reminds us that skills management is one of the structuring development levers for aligning human resources with the strategic ambitions of an organization.

The strategic manager acts as a true conductor, ensuring that each project and each key decision is in line with the overall vision. This involves close collaboration with the business units, as well as an ongoing dialogue with local managers and operational departments. The end of silo work and the quality of internal communication are decisive success factors here.

3. Manage transformation projects

The strategic manager is responsible for managing high-impact transformation projects : digital transformation, CSR transition, business model change, organizational model overhaul or restructuring.

Digital transformation in particular has become an essential cross-cutting project. The Directorate-General for Enterprise confirms in its 2024 activity report that the dissemination of digital technology in companies is at the heart of current public policies. On the market side, Numeum estimates the growth of the French digital sector at +3.5% in 2024, after +6.5% in 2023 — a slowing environment that is forcing managers to arbitrate their transformation investments more carefully.

In these contexts, the top manager supports teams and project managers in change management, in order to reduce individual resistance and ensure that the transformations undertaken are in line with the long-term strategy. It is based on proven methods to overcome resistance to change and get teams on board.

Things to doPace the transformation by measurable milestones, get middle management on board from the scoping phase, communicate the “why” before the “how”.

What to avoidLaunching several disruptive projects in parallel without prioritization, underestimating the time to appropriation, delegating change management to the HR department alone.

4. Track and analyze results

Thanks to the implementation of performance indicators, or KPIs (growth rate, profitability, market share, level of team commitment, environmental impact, customer satisfaction), the top manager regularly analyzes the results obtained, identifies the flaws and identifies the sources of dysfunction.

The DGE reminds us in its France Num guide that managing the growth of a company requires defining the right indicators, adapted to the economic model and the digital maturity of the organization. This is precisely the role of the strategic manager: to choose, prioritize and bring these indicators to life. To go further, Wayden details 10 performance indicators in management control.

In the event of a deviation, he proposes adjustments and corrective solutions, making the management of the strategy part of a continuous improvement approach and, when relevant, in a logic of operational excellence.

5. Evolve the company’s vision

The vision defined by the strategic manager is not fixed: it is intended to evolve continuously. It must be adapted to market changes, technological advances, changing consumer expectations, and emerging opportunities.

Artificial intelligence is a perfect illustration of this imperative for evolution. According to the Digital Society Lab, despite an uncertain economic climate, 25% of digital companies plan to create permanent positions, mainly for artificial intelligence and security experts, while 48% intend to maintain their workforce. The strategic manager’s mission is therefore to carry out regular monitoring in order to update the company’s vision and objectives in a relevant and proactive way — whether it is to integrate AI into the company’s strategy or to anticipate the sectors most impacted by AI.

The strategic skills sought in a top manager

In addition to the five previous roles, the profile of the strategic manager can be recognized by a base of skills identified by public standards and management studies:

Ability to arbitrate and decide under uncertainty — the competency framework for executives published by the DIESE places decision-making at the heart of the management profession.
Steering and value creation — according to the RNCP 36890 reference framework for the Business Unit Manager, the manager “implements the company’s strategy”, “deploys the necessary resources” and “contributes to value creation”.
Leadership and team leadership — the same framework specifies that the manager “leads his teams in an agile and responsible way and is an actor of change”.
Vision transformation and change management — Igas, in its 2025 report on managerial practices, underlines the importance of results-oriented management capable of supporting transitions.
Mastery of digital and AI issues — confirmed by the France Num 2025 Barometer on digital technology and artificial intelligence in VSEs and SMEs.
Sense of social responsibility — now structuring, as recalled in the CSR Platform’s September 2025 opinion on responsible business.

To dig deeper into this reading grid, Wayden has listed the 10 essential qualities of a good manager as well as 10 management flaws to correct. In terms of methods, project-based management, agile management methods and risk management are all tools that can be used by a top manager.

Strategic manager: a key role, a rare profile

The strategic manager facilitates the coordination and coherence of actions between departments, guides critical decisions, anticipates future transformations and ensures that each field mission participates in the creation of the global vision. In a context where the management function must simultaneously absorb the digital transformation, the ecological transition, cost pressure and the war for talent, this profile is becoming rarer – and it is precisely for these strategically intensive assignments that companies are increasingly calling on interim management.

Are you looking for a strategic manager to lead a transformation, restructuring or growth phase?Wayden mobilizes within a few days a seasoned leader capable of embodying the vision and staying the course.

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FAQ — Strategic Manager

What is the difference between strategic manager and operational manager?

The strategic manager defines the long-term vision, allocates resources and steers the transformation of the organization. The operational manager, or middle manager, manages the day-to-day work of the field teams and the concrete implementation of the actions decided upstream.

What are the main missions of a strategic manager?

Five key roles: defining a clear vision, driving strategy, managing transformation projects, tracking and analyzing results through KPIs, and evolving the vision based on market and innovations.

What skills are expected of a top manager today?

Ability to arbitrate, leadership, change management, mastery of management by indicators, sense of digital transformation and integration of CSR issues. The public repositories of executive executives and managers of operational units give a precise map of this.

Does the strategic manager set the objectives himself?

Yes, in co-construction with the governing bodies. It then breaks down these objectives into a roadmap, often within the framework of management by objectives and shared indicators.

Can you call on a strategic manager in transition?

Yes. Interim management is precisely designed to provide the company, over a defined period, with an experienced leader capable of carrying a vision, getting teams on board and delivering measurable results.

The 5 key roles of the strategic manager