Strategic thinking emphasizes the need to balance today’s performance with future opportunity in order to manage risk and navigate through the uncertainty of the business landscape. The ability to think strategically sparks new ideas and future business propositions that are the lifeblood of long-term success, but many CEOs and senior executives continuously struggle to look past the present and put the future in focus. In fact, Chief Executive magazine has previously reported that a staggering seven out of 10 leaders don’t consider themselves to be strategic. So, where have all the strategic leaders gone?
The reason for this gap in strategic leadership is simple — the ability to think strategically is not naturally developed on the road to the c-suite. In fact, research shows that more than 60 percent of leaders say their organizations have failed to invest at the required level to build strategic talent in support of long-term growth, and more than 70 percent of leaders report struggling to develop strategic leaders within their organizations. Strategic thinking skills are not developed solely as a virtue of experience or promotion either. Rather, they must be actively and purposefully practiced.
At the same time, however, strategic thinking can be quite elusive and the concept of being “strategic” is often overused or misused. What does it really mean to be a strategic thinker?
Based on two decades of experience as well as targeted research with more than 20,000 professionals in 176 countries around the globe, we have identified six skills that, when mastered and applied together, allow leaders to truly think and act strategically:
https://www.decisionstrat.com/dsi-releases-strategic-aptitude-insights-in-honor-of-international-strategic-thinking-month-in-september/)Consider this framework as you hone your own strategic capabilities and work with others throughout the company to develop the strategic skillset of rising leaders. In doing so, you and your staff will be better prepared to anticipate market change, seize profitable opportunities and adapt your business to consistently win over time.
Samantha Howland is a senior managing partner at Decision Strategies International, a future-focused strategy and leadership development consulting firm. www.decisionstrat.com
Read: https://www.decisionstrat.com/insights/strategic-aptitude-assessment/
Read: https://www.decisionstrat.com/dsi-releases-strategic-aptitude-insights-in-honor-of-international-strategic-thinking-month-in-september/)
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