Beware the Omniscient CEO
I took a graduate class in comparative literature along the way. The idea was to understand how to evaluate a book quickly not only for its conciseness, but also for its applicability. We'd ask ourselves who the narrator was in important scenes, how knowledgeable that narrator was, and, further, what kind of axe that narrator had to grind. I find myself doing the same thing with strategic plans.
In literature, they examine the narrator's point of view. In strategic planning, we do the same thing. The omniscient point of view (the narrator knows everything, is all knowing) is pretty obvious sometimes, especially when the CEO dictated the plan without any input from the team. Objective point of view (tell what happens without stating anything else) (Literature) loses the feeling of it all. When you are discussing values, for instance, forgetting about feelings may not be a very good choice. Whether the narrator participates in the story either directly (first person) or indirectly (third person point of view) sometimes shows through.
Having an omniscient CEO isn't all bad, especially when you're going through tough times. It is dangerous, however, in the situation where all creativity of the team at all levels is wrung out of the system. Sometimes, sales people - and loading dock people, for that matter - know what is best for the organization. Not allowing them to make decisions on their own isn't a very good idea, even when they are making strategic decisions.
When you think about it, while we live in a democracy, our businesses aren't very democratic. Leaders sometimes stay leaders for many, many years. In a democracy, elections and term restriction limit the amount of damage any one person can do. In a business, that isn't always the case. When a CEO is saying, "I know what is right for the organization," and doesn't brook any real comment about what she/he is saying, watch out. Dictatorships get things done, yes. Sometimes, however, they forget to do the important things, like motivate employees to help the company succeed.
Literary Analysis Guide. Point of View. http://www.ci.maryville.tn.us/mhs/studyskills/CompGuide/LitAnaPOV.htm
Literature. Exploring Point of View. Types of Point of View. http://www.learner.org/interactives/literature/read/pov2.html