Strategic thinking skills are highly sought-after in today’s world.

“The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do.” — Michael Porter, an American economist, researcher, author, advisor, speaker, and teacher

Strategic thinking is about planning for the future, adapting to a changing environment, and developing innovative solutions to complex challenges.

These skills are essential for accomplishing goals, overcoming obstacles, and solving challenges. They are among the most highly sought-after traits leaders and future leaders must possess.

Leaders with strong strategic thinking skills can significantly impact a company’s growth and success. Strategic thinking involves asking the right questions and effectively communicating with key stakeholders.

• It’s about recognizing what you do and don’t know.
• It’s about being curious.
• It’s about taking a step back and looking at the big picture.

Strategic thinking doesn’t come with an instruction manual. So, how can you be “more strategic”?

“Strategy is about setting yourself apart from the competition. It’s not a matter of being better at what you do — it’s a matter of being different at what you do.” — Michael Porter

Strategic thinking is planning. It’s also about implementation. It would be best if you had a good strategy that produces results.

Strategy is nothing without execution.

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How to improve your big picture thinking skills

You must have the right mindset and practice to improve your strategic thinking skills.

Here are five ways that you can become a better strategic thinker.

1. Get to know yourself, team, company, and industry

The first step to improving your strategic thinking skills is understanding your strengths and weaknesses. You should also know your team, company, and industry.

Lay the foundation for being strategic by educating yourself.

You must seek firsthand experience on how your company operates and how it differentiates itself in the industry. 

You should know your colleagues, partners, and competitors.

When you know the context for how you operate, your team functions, your company makes money, and the landscape of your industry, you make better strategic observations and decisions.

Stay updated on trends, innovations, and technologies impacting your company and industry. You can think strategically when you know your position.

You must understand what is working well, what’s not working well, what’s different, and what’s new.

2. Take time to reflect and connect the dots

Once you know the ins and outs, you must take time to think.

• Analyze new information and its impact on strategic choices.
• Spot patterns.
• Connect the dots between information.
• Draw conclusions based on your experience and knowledge.

One of the best ways to analyze the state of affairs is to conduct a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis.

You could also do a PESTEL (political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal) analysis. 

Strategic execution is connecting the dots from the company’s mission and vision to the strategic and tactical plan.

3. Ask smart and open-ended questions

The next step is to challenge and question assumptions. As the saying goes, “when you assume, you make an a$$ out of you and me.”

To enhance your strategic thinking skills, you must ask more strategic questions.

When you ask more intelligent questions, you can better plan, spot opportunities, and develop a more strategic mindset. 

Thoughtful questions can apply to your role, your responsibilities, the value your team provides to the business, and how well your company is living up to its mission and values.

Intelligent questions will help you launch a new business or product or differentiate your company from competitors.

Questions you may ask include:

• How are we going to grow our products and services?
• Where will our company’s growth come from in the next five years?
• How does our company respond to new threats?
• How can our team add more value to the business and not be viewed as a cost center but as a revenue generator?

Asking better questions will help you discover different perspectives and contrarian points of view.

• You’ll better understand what you know and have the curiosity to explore what you don’t know.
• Furthermore, you’ll be able to dig deeper, uncover new opportunities, and sharpen your strategic thinking skills.

4. Take breaks

You can’t take time to think strategically when you are constantly going from one task to another, and your day is packed with meetings. Strategic thinking happens during downtime.

You can think more strategically when you have time to decompress, wander, and look at different outcomes.

To make this happen, take more breaks during the day.

5. Consider opposing ideas

When you appreciate multiple points of view, you strengthen your strategic thinking because you know the whole picture. You must continually ensure you consider other possibilities.

You can enhance your strategic thinking by questioning assumptions and testing your hypothesis.

To develop your strategic thinking skills, consider challenging yourself when you feel confident with an idea.

Have you played the devil’s advocate with your ideas?

• You’ll be able to proactively identify weaknesses in your argument and better defend your ideas to a skeptical audience.
• Additionally, you’ll be able to communicate better and sharpen your thinking.

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Bringing it all together

Strategic thinking is an essential skill if you want to climb the career ladder. Strategic thinking is about solving problems, reinventing your point of view, critical thinking, self-awareness, and practice.

There are five ways that you can become a better strategic thinker. Get to know yourself, your team, your company, and your industry. Take time to reflect and connect the dots. Ask smart and open-ended questions. Take breaks and consider opposing ideas.

“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy are the noise before defeat.” — Sun Tzu, a Chinese strategist

When you excel in strategic thinking, you know how to think, know you don’t have all the answers, and can spot new opportunities and plan for success today and tomorrow. Strategic thinking can give you a significant advantage that pays major dividends.

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