Word Strategy keeps popping in the business world. The more so the businesses today have become more competitive, the rate of change in business is faster than ever before. Strategic thinking skills are in more demand than ever before. Businesses are being run like a military operation. I feel Strategic Thinking involves analytical skills, creativity, innovation, values, beliefs & ethics. Analytical skills are required to process the information and data which is so freely floating around and shall help the leader in overcoming and predicting the challenges which the future has in store. Creativity and innovation have become the mantra for success for all organizations whether small or large, public or private the organisation has to constantly innovate and be creative. Creativity and innovation is required by organizations not only for providing a new product offering but also the way they are going to offer and the way they are going to communicate with their customers. Values, beliefs and ethics represent the Goodness and Wisdom as a leader you possess and it is these values, beliefs and ethics which will drive you to take correct decisions where you aim for win win.
It is this practical wisdom and goodness that distinguishes Mahatma Gandhi from Hitler. Both were great leaders and had several attributes of a Good Leader as prescribed in the textbooks. Gandhi chose to use non-violence as a strategy to achieve its goals and Hitler chose military aggression to fulfill his vision.
Strategic thinking is a big role to be left to a single person in the organization to do. It has to be developed at all levels in the organization. The leader has to build a team of strategic thinkers around him to ensure that your organization can stay on course. The challenge is to build a team and to build your vision into the DNA of the team with a strong foundation of values and ethics that will bind the team members.
Nicely explained...