You're trying to improve your strategic thinking skills. What are the most common mistakes you should avoid?

When striving to enhance strategic thinking skills, it's essential to avoid common pitfalls that may hinder progress. Firstly, resist the urge to focus solely on short-term outcomes at the expense of long-term objectives. Additionally, refrain from relying too heavily on past strategies without considering evolving circumstances and new opportunities. Avoid the trap of overcomplicating situations by seeking simplicity and clarity in decision-making processes. Furthermore, steer clear of confirmation bias, which may limit exploration of alternative perspectives and creative solutions. By recognizing and avoiding these mistakes, individuals can cultivate more effective strategic thinking abilities and drive success in their endeavors.

When you're trying to improve your strategic thinking skills, it's necessary to think long term. When you are building your long-term thinking skills, ask yourself and your stakeholders, "What are the positive and negative consequences of this action?" In other words, what will happen if you take a specific action. Every action has a ripple effect, so asking this question can help you understand the long-term effects.

Some of the best ways to “check” your assumptions are to: 1) systematize your strategic thinking by using formal models, 2) understand and utilize data to inform your thinking, and 3) gain DIVERSE perspectives from stakeholders. This can be done by forming steering committees or “boards,” and by engaging in purposeful conversations with people who have different priorities.

When you're building your strategic thinking skills, it's important to understand you won't know everything, and you shouldn't. Strategic thinkers work in partnership with subject matter experts. Think about a strategic thinker as a subject matter expert in strategic thinking. Rely on topic subject matter experts (like people in your team, or your stakeholders) to help you fill in the gaps of a specific topic.

I always look at risks and uncertainties with a positive view. Risks and uncertainties are unavoidable. It could be my chances to make a difference, if I prepare well enough. I also think we learn more from risks and uncertainties than in normal situations.

A growth mindset is necessary for modern organizational leadership. Our world is changing more quickly than ever before, and knowledge is doubling at an exponential rate. It’s helpful to approach every new situation by actively trying to learn from every person involved (and their experiences), and walking into situations with the understanding that “building” a solution is always better than “bringing” a solution.

You should consider emotional intelligence. One of my closest colleagues philosophy is “ Use strategy over emotion”. This can serve you well to think things through first to prevent making a mistake you will later come to regret.