Long-range strategic planning in a VUCA world
By Nyari Muguti
For many executives in Zimbabwe, the idea of planning 100 years strategically into the future feels almost absurd. After all, we operate in a reality where forecasts can shift overnight, policy changes can disrupt entire industries and organisations spend as much energy managing risk as they do pursue growth.
Yet paradoxically, it is in this very volatility that long-range thinking becomes not a luxury, but a stabilising force. In environments defined by uncertainty, leaders need a ‘north star’ that helps them rise above the noise of immediate pressures and see the broader horizon.
A 100-year lens is not about predicting the future with precision. It is about shaping a mindset capable of surviving whatever the future brings. When done correctly, it does something powerful: it provokes us to step beyond incremental thinking, challenge our assumptions, and design organisations capable of enduring beyond current leadership and even current realities.
Long-term thinking does not ignore the volatility of today — it gives meaning to it.
Why the 100-Year Perspective Matters More in VUCA Environments
Businesses in Zimbabwe operate in a VUCA: volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous environment with many failing yet some remain afloat. The daily pressures to survive can act like blinkers to planning decades ahead, whilst trying to solve todays pains. However, this is the trap the 100-year lens helps avoid — the trap of short-term firefighting disguised as strategy.
When leaders only plan for the next year, they unintentionally reinforce fragility. Decisions become reactive, fragmented, and overly dependent on short-term indicators.
A long-range mindset flips the script. It asks organisations to define:
- who they are?
- why they exist? and
- what they are committed to becoming?
In the midst of an unpredictable operating environment.
This thinking does not eliminate uncertainty, but it builds the organisational muscle to absorb shocks, pivot intelligently and sustain relevance.
Purpose: Will Our Mission Still Matter 100 Years From Now?
Purpose is the foundation of the 100-year strategic lens. In a turbulent environment, purpose becomes a compass that keeps an organisation on course even in rough waters.
Many companies focus heavily on products, services, and tactics — all of which change. A century-long view shifts the focus to the underlying mission:
If everything about our industry changed tomorrow, what fundamental value would we still exist to deliver?
This question sounds philosophical, but it has practical implications.
A purpose that can withstand a century forces leaders to strip away hype and focus on the value the organisation provides to human beings and society — value that is resilient even when the operating environment isn’t. It reassures customers that you will still be there tomorrow.
Purpose is not a tagline or slogan; it is a strategic commitment that keeps the organisation rooted even when it must pivot.
Relevance: How Will Our Customers, Industries and Communities Evolve?
In Zimbabwe, industries evolve rapidly — driven by economic shifts, digitisation, generational changes, and global influences.
A 100-year mindset encourages leaders to explore scenarios far beyond the next financial year:
- How will customer expectations change with global exposure?
- What might a fully digitalised, borderless marketplace mean for local players?
- How will demographic trends reshape demand?
- What competencies will tomorrow’s communities expect from organisations today?
Instead of reacting to disruptions when they appear, organisations can examine the early signals and prepare before the shift becomes a crisis. This thinking breeds strategic foresight, enabling companies to see around corners and stay relevant even in markets that transform abruptly.
Innovation: What Capabilities Must We Build Now to Stay Relevant Later?
Innovation is the lifeblood of long-lived organisations. But too often innovation is treated as a project, a campaign or a buzzword rather than a strategic capability.
A 100-year mindset compels leaders to ask:
What must we start building today so that we still matter tomorrow?
This focuses the organisation on capabilities, not just activities:
- Data and analytics skills
- Digital literacy and technological integration
- Scalable, flexible systems
- A culture that rewards curiosity and experimentation
- Partnerships that push thinking beyond traditional boundaries
In a VUCA environment, innovation is not a “nice-to-have”; it is the difference between survival and extinction. The most resilient organisations are those that invest in the future even when the present feels overwhelming and the future uncertain.
Sustainability: Are We Managing People, Finances and the Environment for the Long Term?
Sustainability is often misunderstood as “green policies” alone, but in strategic planning it includes three deeply interconnected dimensions:
- Human sustainability — Are we developing leaders who can carry the organisation for decades?
- Financial sustainability — Are we building strong, shock-resistant balance sheets?
- Environmental sustainability — Are we contributing to a future that future generations can inhabit?
In Zimbabwe, where human capital flight, currency volatility and resource constraints are constant realities, sustainability thinking becomes a strategic differentiator. A 100-year perspective forces leaders to prioritise fundamentals:
- strengthening governance,
- nurturing talent,
- diversifying revenue streams,
- and building resilient financial structures.
Sustainability ensures that progress made today is not wiped out tomorrow.
Legacy: What Will Future Generations Say About the Role We Played?
Legacy is not something leaders think about often — yet it is central to enduring strategy.
Organisations that last 100 years are those that understand their role not only in the economy, but also in the community.
Legacy thinking demands that leaders ask:
- What impact will our decisions today have on the next generation?
- How are we contributing to the prosperity and stability of the communities we serve?
- What story will people tell about our organisation in the future?
Legacy anchors strategy in responsibility, challenging leaders to make choices that go beyond profit and prioritise meaningful relevance.
Agility: The Bridge Between Long-Term Vision and Short-Term Survival
Adopting a century-long view does not mean ignoring the realities of Zimbabwe’s rapidly shifting environment. In fact, 100-year thinking only works when paired with one vital ingredient: agility.
An agile organisation is one that can pivot quickly without losing its purpose. It can respond to volatility without compromising its long-term direction.
Agility shows up in:
- fast decision cycles,
- empowered teams,
- flexible structures,
- rapid experimentation,
- and a culture that embraces learning over perfection.
To survive 100 years, a business must be able to hold two truths simultaneously:
- We must think long-term, and
- We must adapt in the short term.
Long-term thinking provides the direction.
Agility provides the movement.
Both are necessary.
The Future Belongs to Organisations That Think Beyond Survival
Zimbabwe’s operating landscape will always carry complexity. Yet within that complexity there are incredible opportunities for organisations that dare to think differently.
A 100-year mindset does not promise certainty — it promises clarity, discipline, and strategic coherence. It transforms strategy from a cycle of firefighting into a culture of foresight. Most importantly, it challenges leaders to build organisations that are not just profitable today, but meaningful tomorrow. In the end, the organisations that endure are those that do not simply react to the world around them — they shape it.
Nyari Muguti is a seasoned Strategic Transformation Consultant and Executive Coach with over 20 years of experience, operating across the UK and the SADC region. She brings a wealth of expertise in facilitating strategy development and supporting organisations and leaders to transform as they implement their strategies.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nyari-muguti-24998017/
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