Leading with Strategic Thinking: Four Ways Effective Leaders Gain Insight, Drive Change, and Get Results

There are countless books on strategic thinking, and even more on leadership. But so far none have effectively integrated these two topics into a practical guide for leaders who want to promote strategic thinking within their organizations. Leading with Strategic Thinking fills this gap with a focus on taking action. This book also redefines strategy, bringing together insights from cognitive psychology, systems theory, and other fields to show that the importance of strategic thought transcends planning and permeates every aspect and every level of business.

Too often, leaders think of strategy as one item on a long list of tasks they must attend to. Developing strategic plans is important, but long-term value creation does not and cannot end there. Instead, strategy is a frame of mind. And it is becoming all the more important in our era of technological and social disruptions. These changes in the status quo create massive opportunities for collaboration, innovation, and advancement. Leading with Strategic Thinking will show you how to recognize these opportunities daily, and how to achieve strategic buy-in among line managers and employees. By assimilating strategy into the every day, leaders have the potential to vastly improve organization-wide outcomes.

Effective leaders understand that, as circumstances evolve, so do the roles of executives and upper management. Thankfully, Leading with Strategic Thinking does not promote a one-size-fits all leadership approach. Instead, the authors describe four types of strategic leadership, each one of which can be adapted to particular situations. Examples and case studies show how real leaders have used these techniques to improve results. The authors' insightful discussion will help you identify your own personal leadership strengths and use these to drive the right change at the right time.

Applying strategic thought to dynamic environments requires an understanding of how to drive strategy by utilizing skills that are appropriate to the moment. The authors of Leading with Strategic Thinking distinguish between core competencies and applied competencies–a distinction that leaders will find enormously helpful as they respond to the demands of their specific environments. With the help of the tools and resources in this book, you can begin applying this strategic leadership framework right away. Whether embarking on a new project or seeking to improve overall performance, Leading with Strategic Thinking should inspire you to have a greater impact, today and into the future.

About the Authors

Aaron K. Olson is Chief Talent Officer at Aon plc, a worldwide leader in risk management and human resource solutions. His global team oversees talent management, executive succession, workforce diversity, and professional development for Aon’s 66, 000 colleagues in 120 countries around the world.

B. Keith Simerson helps private- and public-sector organizations develop and execute enterprise-wide and business unit–level strategic plans, and provides consultation, executive coaching, and leadership development in the areas of strategy formulation and execution. B. K. has facilitated strategic planning sessions and consulted throughout the United States and in Iraq, Canada, Argentina, Mexico, Germany, Italy, Bermuda, France, and the Netherlands.