Teaching People to Think Strategically

A common concern about emerging leaders is their lack of ability to think strategically. More experienced and senior leaders are often confronted with a highly talented team member who lacks the strategy chops to craft a great plan to address a problem, challenge, or opportunity. When tasked with creation of a strategy, inexperienced leaders often don’t know where to begin. 

This can be a big drawback for developing better leaders responsibly.

Teaching others to think more strategically can seem like a daunting task for leaders. Is it even possible? Can anyone actually improve their strategic thinking in a material way? It may take some time, but the answer is Yes. People can learn to think more strategically if they are guided by a leader who knows how to teach it. 

Strategic thinking is best taught by taking an existing strategy apart. Start with a successful strategy that has proven its value and acceptance in the organization. Work with the author of that strategy and work backward and forward through the decisions and choices that produced that strategy. Show the learner what steps were necessary to create the strategy and its success. 

For instance, explore the origin of the strategy in its infancy. Where did the idea or need for the strategy come from? Was it a proactive idea to address an opportunity or a reactive plan to address a problem or challenge? As it evolved, did the strategy change? If so, why? How much input did the leader seek and at what stages in the strategy’s development? You get the idea. 

Do this several times with different existing strategies and you may see a marked improvement. If nothing else, the team member will learn where to start the process and how to allow the strategy to evolve through stakeholder involvement. 

Thinking strategically is not impossible to teach when leaders deconstruct existing strategies and how they came to be. With this understanding as a foundation, less skilled strategists can make big strides forward. 

Leaders who follow this simple strategy for teaching strategy will be rewarded with a team member who can better see the future and craft a plan to get there. A great strategy reflects a pattern of well-considered decisions. Good leaders make those decisions transparent so others can see and learn from them.