A staggering 95% of employees do not fully understand their company’s strategy, leaving them working in ways that are misaligned with leadership’s intentions. The consequences of this gap are profound: valuable resources are spent without clear direction and stakeholder engagement declines. Aurélien Mangano has seen firsthand how closing this gap unlocks growth. As Founder and CEO of DevelUpLeaders, he coaches executives and consults boards on how to bridge vision and execution by focusing on purposeful leadership.
Even partial alignment can produce measurable gains. This is most noticeable in leaders who are able to empower people to see how their work connects to the larger vision and shared purpose. Aurelien estimates that when employees clearly see how their skills contribute, overall outcomes can improve by roughly 25 percent, a lift that highlights how clarity alone can unlock untapped potential. “Leadership is showing vision, showing what is possible, and making people see the bigger picture,” he says. “If employees don’t believe, they won’t be happy, and their energy will be wasted. You want people who truly embrace the vision.”
From Management to Leadership
Aurelien’s perspective on leadership was forged during his time as Director of Automation at a Fortune 500 company. Early on, he observed a troubling disconnect. “People were delivering exactly what we asked them to do, but they were not understanding the big picture,” he says. The lack of context left teams uninspired and disconnected from purpose.
The issue extended beyond his immediate team. Executives and stakeholders also struggled to grasp the value of what was being delivered. To address this, Aurelien worked to align strategy with day-to-day execution. He recalled one instance where, after reframing a project’s objectives in terms of business impact, both executives and team members became more engaged. The shift was measurable: the project pipeline doubled annually and overall delivery grew eightfold in three years.
“When people understood why we were working together and what the money was spent on, they became motivated. IT stopped being viewed only as a cost and started being seen as an investment,” Aurelien explains.
Listening Before Leading
For Aurelien, alignment starts dialogue. Rather than telling others what to do, he focuses on setting meetings with stakeholders to listen and uncover pain points. “Sometimes the right solution came from another department, even a competitor internally. It was about adapting to what was needed for them.”
In his coaching practice, Aurelien draws on frameworks like Kokorozashi, a Japanese concept of personal mission, to help leaders and teams clarify their strengths. He encourages executives to distinguish between what they are good at and what they love doing—two factors often conflated. By helping individuals and teams find their “sweet spot,” he ensures resources are deployed where they create the most value.
“The alignment between strategy and people’s strengths gives a better return on investment than just assigning tasks,” he says, who applies this process at the individual level, then expands it to departments, and finally integrates it across the organization, ensuring the strategy is understood and reinforced at every layer.
The Communication Gap
Why do so many leaders fail to translate a clear strategy into shared understanding? Aurelien points to communication blind spots. “For you, the vision is clear. When you tell it, you assume it is understood. But people don’t always process information the same way,” he says. Some employees absorb information visually, others through listening, and others by hands-on practice. Leaders often default to their own preferred style, failing to adapt to diverse audiences.
This mismatch dilutes critical messages. Large meetings that combine executives, middle management, and task forces are especially challenging, as each group has different expectations. Aurelien advises leaders to tailor communication to the audience, repeat key messages in multiple formats, and validate understanding at every level. “Start by listening, adjust your communication, and be clear. Then say it differently, not just one way,” he says.
The Power of Purpose
Purpose-driven leadership will be essential as automation and artificial intelligence reshape work. Without a clear purpose, organizations risk deploying powerful tools in ways that miss the mark. “If you are not clear on your purpose, you may go in the wrong direction with the wrong tools or even the right tools applied wrongly,” he says.
Unlike humans, machines do not challenge unclear instructions. They execute exactly as told, which makes precision and clarity even more critical. Organizations must continually review, refine, and adapt their strategies, ensuring they are more than vague statements about revenue growth. “Strategy is not just about increasing revenue. It’s about what you serve, how you help, and the real direction of your company,” he says.
Those interested in learning more about how to align teams behind a strategic vision, can connect Aurélien Mangano on LinkedIn or visit his website.
