strategists
Long-term tactical thinkers
Strategists are people who plan and direct large-scale operations, whether military campaigns, business initiatives, or political movements.
The term implies someone who thinks long-term and considers the big picture rather than immediate tactics: Republican strategists worry about losing suburban voters.
A strategist may be a professional advisor or simply someone skilled at planning: She's the strategist in our family.
Experts hired for guidance
- executivesSenior corporate officers
- plannersThose who devise arrangements
- analystsThose who dissect data
- brand managersOverseers of product identity
Elite strategic board players
- deck buildersThose who construct outdoor platforms
- speedrunnersGamers minimizing completion time
- grandmastersHighest-titled experts
- draftersThose who prepare documents
Those running electoral efforts
- pollstersElection prediction professionals
- spin doctorsPR damage controllers
- advisorsThose who give counsel
- MachiavelliPolitical realism's founding theorist
operatives · party planners · lobbyists · speechwriters · grassroots organizers · kingmakers · power brokers
Broad statements or commanders
- tacticiansExperts in maneuvering
- commandersMilitary authority figures
- Sun TzuAncient Chinese strategist
- ClausewitzPrussian strategist and theorist
army chiefs · counterinsurgency · wargamers · military advisors · field marshals · intelligence officers · staff officers
consultants
Experts hired for guidance
- executivesSenior corporate officers
- plannersThose who devise arrangements
- analystsThose who dissect data
chess masters
Elite strategic board players
- deck buildersThose who construct outdoor platforms
- speedrunnersGamers minimizing completion time
- grandmastersHighest-titled experts
campaign managers
Those running electoral efforts
- pollstersElection prediction professionals
- spin doctorsPR damage controllers
- advisorsThose who give counsel
Machiavelli · operatives · party planners · lobbyists · speechwriters · grassroots organizers · kingmakers · power brokers
generals
Broad statements or commanders
- tacticiansExperts in maneuvering
- commandersMilitary authority figures
- Sun TzuAncient Chinese strategist
Clausewitz · army chiefs · counterinsurgency · wargamers · military advisors · field marshals · intelligence officers · staff officers
- expertsexperts, expert, specialist, masters, specialists
- Ancient ChinaShang dynasty, Han dynasty, Confucius, Warring States period, oracle bones
- Three KingdomsThree Kingdoms, warlords, Han dynasty, Chengdu
- War Figuressoldiers, generals, commanders, combatants, military commanders
- power playerspower brokers, insiders, dealmakers, influencers, kingmakers
- trailblazerstrailblazers, pioneers, innovators, groundbreakers, forerunners
strategistsimprovisers
Those creating spontaneously
reactors · reactionaries · hot-heads · loose cannons · ad-libbers
strategistsimplementers
Those who carry out
executors · pawns · foot soldiers · operatives · grunts
- political strategistCampaign tactics advisor
- military strategistWarfare planning expert
- chief strategistTop planning officer
- media strategistCommunications campaign planner
- business strategistPlans company's competitive approach