Your Flow Zone Is...
The Strategic Problem Solver 🗺️
Your genius is strategy.
You thrive when you’re handed a complex challenge and asked to figure out the smartest way through. You bring a sharp, structured mind to ambiguous situations—dissecting big problems, weighing trade-offs, and mapping out a long-term path that aligns actions with goals. You’re not just thinking tactically. You’re thinking about the entire system and how to steer it toward meaningful progress.
You bring clarity where others feel overwhelmed. You can hold multiple variables in your mind at once, balancing competing needs and aligning priorities without losing sight of the big picture. While others may jump into action, you pause to assess—asking the key questions that lead to smarter decisions and better outcomes.
You don’t get swept up in chaos. You create order. Your calm, logical approach brings stability to high-stakes moments and helps teams move forward with confidence. Ensure this strength is at the heart of your work and you will be on the path to fulfillment and success.
You thrive when you’re handed a complex challenge and asked to figure out the smartest way through. You bring a sharp, structured mind to ambiguous situations—dissecting big problems, weighing trade-offs, and mapping out a long-term path that aligns actions with goals. You’re not just thinking tactically. You’re thinking about the entire system and how to steer it toward meaningful progress.
You bring clarity where others feel overwhelmed. You can hold multiple variables in your mind at once, balancing competing needs and aligning priorities without losing sight of the big picture. While others may jump into action, you pause to assess—asking the key questions that lead to smarter decisions and better outcomes.
You don’t get swept up in chaos. You create order. Your calm, logical approach brings stability to high-stakes moments and helps teams move forward with confidence. Ensure this strength is at the heart of your work and you will be on the path to fulfillment and success.
You're likely energized when:
You’re finding a clear path through something messy using research and structured thinking
You’re designing long-term strategies that guide others forward
You’re creating a plan that balances multiple priorities with precision
You’re working with people who value depth of thinking, rigor, and strategic insight
Common challenges for Strategic Problem Solvers:
You may get caught in the weeds, overanalyzing instead of making a decision and moving forward - especially when the problem feels complex
You may discount creative or intuitive solutions if the research and data doesn't line up
You may get frustrated with short-term thinking or disorganized teams
Reflection prompts to deepen your self-awareness:
What kinds of strategic challenges light you up most: business models? team dynamics? product direction?
Do you prefer building the whole strategy yourself or co-creating it with others?
What process for developing strategy feels best for you?
How can you build in room for unexpected solutions born from intuition and imagination alongside your logic and rigor?
What percent of your time in your current role is spent doing your top two Flow Zones? You should aim for 70% or higher.
What tasks and responsibilities on your To Do list aren't energizing for you? How much of your current role do they make up? Use the below language to support any restructuring you might need.
When talking to people about how you uniquely add value, you might say:
I’m a strategy person. I love diving into complex, unstructured problems and developing strategies that drive long-term business growth.
I’m best when I get to think deeply, gather insights from mixed data sources, and shape how we solve the problem with a strategy that others can operationalize.
I love breaking big challenges into smart, actionable solutions.
I’m best when I get to think through how a business grows.
I’ll thrive if I have to solve long-term strategic problems as a core part of my role.
I’m a strategy person. I love diving into complex, unstructured problems and developing strategies that drive long-term business growth.
I’m best when I get to think deeply, gather insights from mixed data sources, and shape how we solve the problem with a strategy that others can operationalize.
I love breaking big challenges into smart, actionable solutions.
I’m best when I get to think through how a business grows.
I’ll thrive if I have to solve long-term strategic problems as a core part of my role.
If you want to restructure your role you can use language like:
I’d like to be responsible for developing the strategy for [product / initiative] and then working alongside or handing off to [colleague] to implement it
I’d love the opportunity to be more involved in the upfront planning stages
It would be super energizing for me to review the research and data that goes into making our strategic business decisions
I thrive when I can shape our strategic approach while working closely with someone who is great at operations and implementation
I would ideally be doing less [whatever you’re doing now you don’t like] and more strategic research and development
I’d like to be responsible for developing the strategy for [product / initiative] and then working alongside or handing off to [colleague] to implement it
I’d love the opportunity to be more involved in the upfront planning stages
It would be super energizing for me to review the research and data that goes into making our strategic business decisions
I thrive when I can shape our strategic approach while working closely with someone who is great at operations and implementation
I would ideally be doing less [whatever you’re doing now you don’t like] and more strategic research and development
Role ideas for Strategic Problem Solvers:
Management Consultants
Venture Capital
Private Equity
Corporate Strategy
Brand Strategist
Policy Analyst
Innovation Consultant
Early stage founders
Growth Strategy
Chief of Staff
Product Manager
Management Consultants
Venture Capital
Private Equity
Corporate Strategy
Brand Strategist
Policy Analyst
Innovation Consultant
Early stage founders
Growth Strategy
Chief of Staff
Product Manager
Your Flow Zone is just the first step…
It represents the strengths that should be at the heart of your role to support your alignment and flow.
But you will also need to clearly define your interests and environmental priorities to create a career North Star that points you towards an energizing career you love.
You have to actually be interested in the work and be working in an environment that supports your lifestyle priorities to thrive 😉
It's all outlined in The Career Fulfillment Playbook: the foundational concepts everyone needs in place to create a career that feels like an extension of who you are and how you want to live your life.
