Who are the Villagers? The Multi-Disciplinary Roles Behind Successful Strategy Execution
- Ben Chamberlain
- Apr 18
- 3 min read
We have a new Guide from StrategyXF Strategic Advisor & Founding member Andy Jordan. In Who Are the Villagers? Andy breaks down exactly who needs to be part of the Strategy Execution village — and what role each of them plays in turning strategy into results.
At StrategyXF, we talk a lot about mastering Strategy Execution taking a village. No single leader, role, or team can succeed on their own. Optimizing performance — and by extension, business value — requires multiple areas of the organization working together in a structured, integrated way.
But who exactly makes up that village? Which functions need to come together, and what role does each one play? That's the question Andy Jordan sets out to answer in this guide — and the answer has important implications for how organizations think about accountability, collaboration, and the enterprise-wide nature of Strategy Execution.
StrategyXF Guide: Who are the Villagers
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The Village Structure
Think of a community in society — a hypothetical village. Within that community there are elders who share wisdom, a leadership council that makes the important decisions, and key members who organize the community and deliver the work. The same model applies inside an organization executing on strategy.
Andy identifies three distinct types of roles that must combine and collaborate to deliver optimal Strategy Execution. Each group has a clearly defined purpose within the village:
Drivers - The Decision Makers who own strategy and determine what success looks like. They drive the adaptive planning process and ensure the execution environment is optimized.
Enablers - The Catalysts who create the environment where successful Strategy Execution can happen — providing expertise, guidance, and the integrated voice that keeps execution in balance.
Deliverers - The Executors who turn strategy into reality — managing the portfolio of projects, programs, and investments that transform strategic intent into measurable business outcomes.
Why This Structure Matters
Each of the three groups plays a role that the others cannot replace. Drivers without effective Enablers operate without the expertise to balance risk, resource, and investment trade-offs. Enablers without aligned Deliverers can't translate strategy into real work. And Deliverers without clear direction from Drivers and Enablers operate in a vacuum — executing efficiently toward the wrong outcomes.
"Optimized strategy execution, and by extension, optimized value creation, requires each of these enablers to have complete understanding of their specialty. And more importantly, it requires them all to collaborate as a single, integrated, unified team."
The guide goes deeper into the specific roles within each category — from the C-Suite executives who own the strategy, to the SEO and enterprise architects who create the execution environment, to the program managers, scrum masters, and business analysts who drive the work. It also explores what happens when any one element of the village is missing or misaligned: performance suffers, value is lost, and the enterprise can never reach its potential.
What You'll Find in the Full Guide
Andy's guide walks through each of the three role categories in detail — who sits within them, what they're responsible for, and how they must work together to create an integrated, high-performing Strategy Execution environment. It covers:
The specific C-Suite and senior leadership roles that constitute the Drivers — and why their involvement doesn't stop at strategy formulation. The Enabler functions that identify thresholds, balance trade-offs, and must speak with one voice. The breadth of Deliverer roles — and the critical accountability they carry for maintaining alignment even as strategy adapts.
Most importantly, it frames these roles not as a static org chart, but as a dynamic, collaborative village structure that the entire enterprise must buy into. Identifying who needs to be involved is only the first step. The guide points toward what comes next.
StrategyXF Guide: Who are the Villagers?
Already a member? Read the full Guide
Not a member? Apply to become a member
The Strategy eXecution Forum (StrategyXF) is an invite-only, no-fee professional community built by and for practitioners who understand the challenges of closing the persistent gap between strategy and results. We believe it requires a collective effort to master strategy execution. StrategyXF brings together senior leaders from across the enterprise: C-suite executives, Strategy & Operations leaders, Transformation Offices, Finance, HR, IT, PMO, Enterprise Risk, Change Management, Portfolio Management, Business Architecture, and more.
Together, we collaborate on real-world challenges, share proven approaches, and shape the future of disciplined and impactful organizational execution. This is not a passive network; it is a practitioner-led community where your experience adds real value. Every discussion is designed to deliver practical ideas you can apply immediately. If you are serious about elevating strategy execution as a mission-critical discipline, we invite you to apply to become a member and help us build something the profession has long needed.
