5 Steps to Start Strategic Thinking (The Secret Formula of World Leaders)

Hey Zeus here again. Today I have been thinking about a problem and I couldn't find the actual answer that I felt satisfied. Though I got an answer, I felt like it is missing the whole right side and contains just the left of it.

So, I started to think what is actually missing. I felt a bit ashamed. After being the god of gods, the head of heaven, if I still can't think through the problems and find out answer which seems so much sophisticated, what the use of being the king?

So I started to dig deep through the spark I got. I went to the library of the heaven and read thousands and thousands of books (Gods can read so fats. That's why we can read your heart and mind).

After reading so many books and articles, I found the recipe that I am messed with. What I am missing was this...

Strategic Thinking.

My citizen, I am maintaining this blog to transform you from a human to a god. So I am going to declare you the ways you can improve your strategic thinking. It will help you in a immense intense in solving day-to-day and corporate problems.

1) Let your mind to think.

The Harvard Business Review puts it this way: “Strategic people create connections between ideas, plans and people that others fail to see.”

Okay, strategic thinking is simply thinking strategically. Then how come it happens if you don't let your brain to think? The first and the best step of entering the skill of strategic thinking is "letting your brain to think"

Schedule a time in the day and think about the problems in a broader way. That helps you to seek the untouched parts of you capacity. The more often you do the better you get.

Just make sure it happens regularly

2) Use your whole brain

Strategic thinking is all about creating connections.

So it has 2 main segments in it.

1. Divergent thinking - We look at the big picture and generate ideas

2. Convergent thinking - We examine and arrange those ideas rationally.

The most innovative thinkers have the ability to rapidly switch between these two styles.

Now you may feel like "Oh how can I do that if I am not an innovative thinker?"

You have a good news. Anyone can practice this skill. One popular method for doing this is through the Six Thinking Hats technique pioneered by Edward De Bono. This involves approaching a problem by wearing six different ‘hats’, reflecting different types of convergent and divergent thinking.

1. Green hat - Focuses on possibilities and new ideas

2. Red hat - Feeling and intuition

3. Yellow hat - Optimism

4. White hat - Information

5. Blue hat - Thinking

6. Black hat - Judgement

You may feel this is uncomfortable in the beginning. But when you go through it consistently, you will fell it so easy.

3) Broaden your horizon

Do you know when you are finding an answer for a problem, you find it through the knowledge you have by now. So the amount of knowledge you have affect your answer directly. So it affects the result directly too.

Now you may understand that if you collect more knowledge, you can find more realistic and quality answers for the questions.

How can you improve your knowledge?

1. By reading books

2. By attending to classes

3. By thinking

4. By experience

Now it is clear that in order to have better answers you should be updated and have a good knowledge about the field through which the problem arise.

Try to experience new things, new places and new people.

In fact, some experts believe that the best strategic thinkers are T-shaped. The bar on the top of the ‘T’ represents the breadth of their knowledge, while the stem represents a deep understanding of their own area of expertise.

Don't be afraid of failing!

(It is also an experience which you will never make again)

4) Step into others shoes.

You must discuss your ideas with you. Especially with people who have a different perspective than you. It leads you to think in different perspective and it eases the process of scanning the problem in a broader manner.

Never let you ego to grow so that you may ignore others' perspectives and hang only on your ideas. It harms you a lot and you business too.

5) Ask tough questions

When you start to ask tough questions about the problem and about the ways you can solve it, you can easily dig deep into details. Through this you will be able to expand your perspective on the problems.

When you ask tough questions and try to find answers to the,, your final answer will start to get more accurate and quality in nature gradually. I swear this will create you an unfair advantage over your competitors.

The Harvard Business Review says,

"The quest to build your strategic skills can be uncomfortable. At first, you might feel like you’re kicking up sand in the ocean. Your vision will be blurred as you manage through the unsettling feelings that come with challenging your own assumptions and gaining comfort with conflict and curiosity. Once the dust settles, however, and you’re able to contribute at a higher level, you’ll be glad you took the risk."

I again say, if you want to think strategically, afford a time and do this regularly.

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