Why is strategic thinking important for leaders?

Strategic thinking isn't some magical ability to see the future. It's simply the ability to think outside your current role. To think larger and longer. On the organizational front: strategic thinking means considering parts of the organization above and beyond your current role. To the division, the whole company even. On the time front: thinking strategically is planning. Thinking in terms longer than you typically do. If your role is all about this week or this month, being more strategic means thinking about this quarter or this year. You don't have to be Steve Jobs to be a strategic thinker. You have to just think a _little bit_ above and out from your current role.

An additional perspective is - to say it with Porter - that strategy is always about making conscious choices, what to do as a business and what not to and why. The nature of the decision has to be long-term. After envisioning a future state, understanding, defining and planning how to get there, strategic capability then manifests itself in the ability to aligning an organisation - the Board, Investors, Management, building capability, people and teams to execute, relentlessly track monitor, adjust when and where needed and always incentives and reward the desired outcome.

Leaders have to build their organizations to thrive in an ambiguous future. Therefore they should focus on building today, the skills and resources that they will need tomorrow, this needs strategic foresight and resilience while navigating through the maze of business

I describe strategic thinking as making decisions that move you closer to what you say is important versus pushing you farther away. This means you're making decisions from a place of intention and not getting swept away by the "noise" and distractions in the environment. Strategic thinking allows leaders to spend more time focusing on what they control and less time reacting and obsessing over what they don't.

More than ever leaders need to master this competence so they can paint a picture of what the future looks like for their particular organisation/industry. This helps give perspective and meaning to what their people do in their day-to-day "jobs". This is a powerful source of motivation is this day and age.

In the realm of leadership, strategic thinking is pivotal. It empowers leaders to envision the future, adapt swiftly, and solve problems proactively. By optimizing resources, fostering innovation, making informed decisions, and aligning teams, strategic thinking paves the way for sustainable success amidst evolving landscapes. Embrace it, and witness how challenges transform into opportunities under its guidance. #StrategicThinking #LeadershipSuccess #InnovationInLeadership #AdaptiveLeadership

Strategic thinking is a key skill that is a must for any leader at any level. Every leader faces challenges internally, externally, controllable, uncontrollable variables. The leader who is grounded and is able to see the big/core picture would be able to navigate/mitigate these uncertainties. The leader with this strategic thinking ability would be able to make the most out of these situations. Strategic thinking can be implemented by leaders across levels to derive the best in their respective areas. There are many examples in which once big organisations but are not existing now, certain key decisions were not taken and that cost a huge opportunity, certain calls were taken to take the plunge but turned out to be bad call.

Strategic thinking requires having a birds view from time to time during projects execution. A strategic thinker will always allow for serious reviews of initial conditions and current direction. In addition, strategic thinking requires studying multiple scenarios and keep them updated and that usually requires multiple domain knowledge which in turns requires keeping close special advisers. You can’t allow day to day execution from examining direction and observing changing environments.

I think, strategic thinking is combination of quality which enable you to remain ahead of times, attitude of expect the unexpected and have solution for every complex scenario. It’s a continuous process which has critical evolvement involving introspection and study of situation parameters. This also is an indirect authority to take control of the situation and work towards the assigned goal using all the powers and tools you have.

The subject is intriguing. Many overlook the importance of applying strategic management to our personal careers, mirroring the way we lead the businesses we oversee. Though it seems straightforward—establish goals, conduct a personal SWOT analysis, plan, and execute—life's complexities often overshadow simplicity. We tend to prioritize everything else over ourselves. Effective self-management demands a proactive stance, adaptability, informed decision-making in line with career goals, and the foresight to seek support when necessary.

Leaders are there to achieve goals and objectives of business for which they have to spearhead the group of resources, the tools, handle the situation and relentlessly work towards the achievement of success. I think, strategic thinking makes leaders think thru critically and plan things more precisely along with formation of various option of solutions and back up plans. It also allows leaders to remain composed and think effectively and efficiently in every tough situation enabling the correct actions are effected.

Employees look to leaders to understand the vision and direction of the organization. Being able to think strategically allows leaders to: - Envision the future of their organization - Set a clear and compelling vision that provides direction and purpose for the entire team - Articulate where they want their organization to go and develop plans to achieve those objectives.

Strategic thinking is important for leadership as for realisation of the vision of the leaders and for putting the puzzle together strategic thinking helps to make informed, effective and practical decisions, eventually leads to a successful outcome of the visions

The reason why strategic thinking is so essential is because our end goals sit somewhere in the uncertain future. We have a goal on a mountain we can see in the distance, but the road to that pinnacle is clouded in fog. If we focus all of our time working in the fog, forging a path, we will eventually lose track and veer in circles or in another direction. And so we have to constantly take a step back and look up at the mountain, Recalibrate our bearings and then continue. The strategic thinking of regularly stepping back and spending time on that vision and reconnecting with it, is what will keep us motivated, aligned and heading in the right direction.

Strategic thinking is a lot of things combined, like balancing between now and later, innovation vs current stability, customer demands from future, decision making , systems thinking, etc..all these and more are what keeps an organization relevant and gives it the edge to stay ahead. The people driving these organisations need to be skilled and equipped with these qualities to ensure orgs and teams excel at everything that they do.

Als Führungskraft ist strategisches Denken eins der wichtigsten Tools, um zukunftsorientiert zu handeln und zu führen. Es ist auch eine entscheidender unterschied zu der vorhergehenden Rolle im Team. Strategisches Denken wird in Bezug auf hierarchische Karriereoptionen immer wichtiger. Vision zu entwickeln und vor allem auch zu vermitteln und zu implementieren ist eine der anspruchsvollsten Aufgaben als Führungskraft, neben der Führung von Menschen

I have always believed that visioning is the step in strategy work that is often overlooked . Without breathing life into the future, where does energy and direction come from? Without inspiration and courage, strategy becomes business planning.

Within the 13Leaders framework strategic thinking holds a pivotal role as it directly impacts several of the framework's 7 functions. Strategic thinking is the linchpin that ties together the various functions within the 13Leaders framework. It not only influences each function but also ensures their cohesion and effectiveness. Leaders who excel in strategic thinking are better equipped to navigate complexities, make informed decisions, and lead their organizations toward sustainable success.

Strategic thinking is not just beneficial, it’s essential. In my experience as an executive coach, I’ve observed that leaders who excel in strategic thinking are those who can envision the future and chart a course towards it. This skill is about seeing beyond the day-to-day; it’s about understanding the larger picture and how each decision impacts the organization’s journey towards its goals. I advise leaders to constantly assess and develop this ability, both in themselves and their teams. It’s a transformative skill that drives not only business success but also personal leadership growth. Embrace strategic thinking as a key tool in your leadership arsenal for navigating complexities and inspiring others.

It’s vital for leaders for 2 main reasons - they need to lead the business to where is possible, giving confidence and assurance to the other people in the business - help develop others in the business, as they will bring them on the journey but not take over their roles As a leader you should inspire and develop others. Without strategic thinking there is a danger you will just do the day to day which then leads to rarely developing or inspiring others

Ask your coachee what are the various alternatives or choices he is considering , how is he analysing the alternative options and why is he making a specific choice or taking a specific decision. And most importantly how he is discarding perceived sub-optimal options. His answers will give you a pretty good idea on how strategic or not his thinking process is.

To assess your coachee’s strategic thinking skills, ask them what they believe are the most critical challenges and opportunities for their business and inquire how they got to the answer they are providing you. This simple approach will show you how your coachees think and will give you very quickly a good view of where they stand before conducting deeper assessments

Before choosing a tool for assessing a coachee's strategic thinking competency, it's essential to consider factors like the leader's preferences, the organizational culture, the depth of assessment needed, and the specific skills or areas of strategic thinking you aim to evaluate. Ensuring the tool's reliability, validity, and relevance to the coaching objectives is crucial for an effective coaching process focused on strategic thinking.

Assessments may be useful for those who like to be able to look at numbers/data, but the easiest place to start is self-reflection. How do you/they: • make decisions • communicate and inspire others with their vision • consider long-term implications, potential risks, and multiple perspectives • adapt to unexpected changes or challenges • proactively seek new knowledge and skills that can contribute to strategic thinking • create forward-looking goals • bring innovative ideas to the table In addition to self reflection, ask others about your/the client's track record in doing those things. The outside perspective can be particularly helpful since many people may not recognize their own patterns of strengths or challenges.

I usually gauge strategic thinking by seeing if someone can quickly grasp abstract concepts, come up with well-thought-out solutions on the fly, connect the "dots" in the most logical way, or pinpoint the root causes of problems.

Strategic thinking is best assssed by the type of questions a person asks about the problem at hand. How many different angles did they explore and how curious were they about the answers they did not have ? Did they consider the long-term impact of what they were proposing? These are some common ways to assess the strategic thinking of the other person.

To access your own and your Coachee's strategic thinking, consider the below approach: 1-Self Assessment for Both #Reflection #Goal Alignment # Decision making #Learning Orientation 2- Accessing Coachee's #Ask about long term Goals # Problem solving scenario # Resource Allocation # Feedback from peers 3-Joint Assessment # Case Studies #Swot Analysis #Scenario Planning # Goal Settings #Feedback and Reflection Remember, strategic thinking is a skill that can be developed over time. The assessment process should be supportive and focused on continuous improvement rather than judgment. It's about identifying strengths and areas for growth to enhance overall effectiveness.

El recibir consejos (Coaching) con otra visión de negocios ayuda no solo a eliminar la “ceguera de taller “. Sino que además se obtienen alternativas de solución a paradigmas y formas de ejecutar mejor los proyectos y/o procesos. Es importante tener en mente que nadie somos expertos en todo. Combinar el conocimiento de la operación de un negocio con expertos en otras áreas ayuda a ampliar el panorama. Eso es lo que se obtiene por ejemplo en un Consejo de Administración.

Executive coaching is an excellent place to develop and enhance strategic thinking within leaders and give them a room for reflection, questioning, and, most importantly, guidance. As a coach, providing space to analyze different outcomes depending on different strategies is one way of helping the coachee to explore untapped options. Exploring ripple effects and outsized impact with a choice is another way to create an expansive conversation.

I have found using an ontological framework has really helped leaders understand what’s needed to create paradigm shifts in performance and effectiveness when it comes to strategy. The Being Tool and Framework helps leaders unpack our unique ways of being, the meta factors and moods that impact our decisions, behaviours, outcome and accomplishments. In this case executive leadership and excellence in performance and effectiveness. Want to know more? Drop me a message.

I think the best way to develop strategic thinking is to work with a specific goal, a big project you want to achieve, and have an Executive Coach guide you through it to guide you to think differently …

Executive coaching can be a powerful tool for developing and enhancing strategic thinking. Here are some strategies for incorporating strategic thinking development into executive coaching: 1. Self-Assessment 2. Set Clear Goals 3. Case Studies 4. SWOT Analysis 5. Feedback Mechanism 6. Scenario Planning 7. Goal Alignment 8. Continuous Learning: 9. Networking 10.Time Management 11.Role-playing 12.Reflection Sessions 13.Metrics and Measurement Remember that developing strategic thinking is an ongoing process, and executive coaching provides a supportive environment for continuous growth and improvement. Tailor the coaching approach to the individual's needs and the specific challenges of the organization.

We can plan the executive coaching for strategic thinking by ascertaining the overall ability, type of scenarios we go thru or handle, complexity of matters which keep coming in during overall journey, and the ultimate goal and objective we have to achieve. The process of executive coaching must include the importance of strategic thinking, the effective communication, the applicability of solution to various questions and the outcome visibility one can have. This can be supplemented by producing the apt example and instances which can be lectured and demonstrated time to time by coaches.

Pour accompagner les dirigeants dans le développement de leurs stratégies de gouvernance et d’innovation, on peut en effet envisager des séances de coaching qui leur offrent des espaces d’expressions et des opportunités d’élargir leurs champs de réflexions et d’analyses en déployant des outils de prospective par exemple, en élargissant leurs champs de visions et de projections et en imaginant les transformations possibles que pourraient apporter des postures disruptives.

Assessing a leader's strategic thinking competency before coaching can be crucial for tailoring the coaching process effectively. Here are some approaches. Presenting the leader with strategic case studies or simulations can assess their approach to strategic decision-making, problem-solving, and their ability to analyze and address complex scenarios. Observing their actions and decisions in these scenarios can offer valuable insights. Conducting structured interviews focusing on past experiences and responses to strategic challenges can help gauge the leader's strategic thinking abilities. Asking about specific instances where they formulated and executed strategies can reveal their approach and mindset.

Strategic thinking is far sited vision which leader has to envisaged for the Org.& he/she who can think beyond a point,out of the box,which is relevant for the Organisation in future looking to Org.Vision & Mission and in line with Org.Goals. That is why now days the leaders need not to involve in day to day operations and he/she shld spend time in Strategic thinking by taking support of Mentors/Coaches,so that he/she drives the Org.in right direction keeping present business intact with growth. He/She shld be calm,visionary, great thinker, full of business acumen & understanding of different business scenarios. He/She shld be respected guy & team shld be willing to work under his guidance & mentorship with BOD’s hvng full faith in him.

A strategic thinker and leader is always ahead of their time. Essentially, it means they are not just reacting to the current situation but are proactively planning for the future, often in ways that may seem unconventional or advanced for the present time.

When discussing strategic thinking, I often like to draw the similarity between creativity as they are both skills and mindsets that can be nurtured. One of Einstein’s famous quotes read, “Creativity is seeing what others see and thinking what no one else ever thought.” The unique results of one’s strategic thinking and ability to bring it to life make a truly great leader.

In uncertain times, decision makers may have to make tough calls with incomplete information, and often they must do so quickly. But strategic thinkers insist on multiple options at the outset and don’t get prematurely locked into simplistic go/no-go choices. They don’t shoot from the hip but follow a disciplined process that balances rigor with speed, considers the trade-offs involved, and takes both short- and long-term goals into account. In the end, strategic leaders must have the courage of their convictions—informed by a robust decision process. Strategic thinking helps in making the best possible decision according to the situation in hand .