“An increasing number of organizations are putting strategic thinking on their list of topics. It’s becoming a bigger priority, and the reason is leaders need to address challenges now that are changing,” says Aaron K. Olson, chief talent officer at Aon plc and coauthor of Leading with Strategic Thinking.
For example, technology, globalization, and unpredictability in business are driving change, he says. As a result, “things that have worked before are not necessarily going to work going forward.”
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When incorporating strategic thinking into leadership development, the focus should be on how to help supervisors and managers become better strategic thinkers.
Olson says, “That doesn’t mean teaching strategic planning.” Although strategic planning has its place, strategic thinking is different, he says, adding that “you really want to teach people how to do three things … recognize patterns, make effective choices, and manage risks.”