Index

access-based positioning, 274

actions

aligning with strategy, 195–203

converting vision into, 188

pragmatic, 252–254

reflecting on your, 109–112

strategic, 143, 279–280

agility, 6, 27–32, 217

alignment, 21–22, 195–203, 280–281

ambiguity, navigating, 251–257

anchoring bias, 86

anticipation skills, 14–16

Apple, 207–208

Argyris, Chris, 246

Ashkenas, Ron, 81–84, 155–162

assumptions, challenging, 16–18, 70, 86–87, 88, 161

Avery, Jessica, 143–154

behavioral economics, 113–117

beliefs audit, 87–88

biases, 70, 86, 114–115, 123, 148, 225

big-picture perspective

conflicting goals and, 157–158

creative thinking and, 85–90

current activities and, 175

developing, 262–265

external view of company and, 73–80

long-term thinking and, 81–84

maintaining, 8

spotting trends and patterns, 61–71

zooming in and out, 91–105

bosses. See managers

Bowman, Nina A., 33–40, 61–71

Brabandere, Luc de, 85–90

brainstorming, 121

Bregman, Peter, 195–203

budget process, 208, 210, 224–225

career advancement, 33–34, 35, 38

caretaking, 102

challenging status quo, 16–18

change(s)

external signals of, 64–67

internal signals of, 62–63

opportunities for, 263

rate of, 110

resistance to, 96, 148, 240

responding to, 217

root causes of, 63

strategies for, 278–279

choices, reflecting on your, 109–112

Christensen, Clayton, 275, 278

Clinton, Bill, 105

close-in perspective, 93–97, 104

coaching, 200–202

cognitive biases, 70, 86, 114–115, 123, 148, 225

Coleman, John, 27–32

collaboration, 201, 202, 211

communication

with stakeholders, 21–22

with teams, 255

companies. See organizations

competition, 276–277

competitive advantage, 43, 79, 88, 242–243, 272–275, 279

competitive markets, 156–158

competitor updates, 64–65

confirmation bias, 123

conflicting goals, 155–162

conflicting messages, 245–249

conflict resolution, 160–161

consensus, 149

consistency, 6, 27–32

contingency if-then plans, 228–229

contributions, 136

corporate vision. See vision

creative thinking, 85–90

critical priorities, 128–129, 131

cross-functional collaboration, 201, 211

cultural factors, in success, 215–217

curiosity, 6

customers, listening to, 75, 78–79

data

analyzing, 90, 120

collection, 201

confirmation bias and, 123

for decision making, 119–124

detecting patterns in, 68

interpreting, 18–19

sharing, 201

“data DIET” decision making approach, 120–123

Davey, Liane, 109–112

decision making

about trade-offs, 168–169

aligning with strategy, 265–266

best practices for, 113–117

close-in perspective and, 93–97

collaborative, 115, 122–123

following up on, 117

“garbage can,” 120, 122

history of, 114

with less data, 119–124

logical, 144–145

with organization in mind, 8–9

pros-and-cons lists for, 114, 164–165

reflection and, 109–112

reflexive, 110

skills, 19–21

uncertainty and, 6

zooming out perspective and, 97–100

Decker, Ben, 185–191

Decker, Kelly, 185–191

delegation, 129–130, 153

department needs, vs. company needs, 167–168

design thinking, 122

desirable priorities, 129–130

developmental networks, 56

DIET. See “data DIET” decision making approach

differentiation, 207–208, 273–274

disruptions, 88–90, 210

driving forces, 278

earnings reports, 81–82

emotions

acknowledging, 255

appealing to, 188–189

cultivating steady, 254–255

navigating, 255

employees. See also team members

conflicting messages to, 245–249

high-impact, 199

motivating, 208–209, 211

relationship-driven approach to, 206–207

enterprise software, 115

ethical concerns, 241

execution. See strategy execution

expertise, of others, 255–257

exploration, 122–123

external forces, affecting organizations, 64–67

external risks, 47

failures, learning from, 22–24

“five whys,” 17

Ford, Henry, 86

Franklin, Benjamin, 114

Fuld, Leonard M., 179–183

future

focus, 6

predictions about, 56–57, 89–90, 179–180, 253

shaping the, 217

thinking about, 179–183

Gallo, Amy, 237–243

Garanti Bank, 97–98

“garbage can” decision making, 120, 122

gender differences, 101–102

goals. See also strategic goals and objectives

conflicting, 155–162

group, 151, 152

letting go of outdated, 143–154

organizational, 9, 150–151, 221–234

Gollwitzer, Peter, 223

Google, 88

Govindarajan, Vijay, 143–144

Grant, Heidi, 221–234

group goals, 151, 152

groupthink, 226–227

growth strategy, 156–158

habits, 223

hands-off managers, 135–141

Hayward, Tony, 91–92

Henderson, Bruce, 272

high-impact people, 199

high-performing teams, 214–219

Hill, Linda A., 55–58, 238, 239, 241

Howland, Samantha, 13–26

human nature, 144–148

humor, 246

Ibarra, Herminia, 101

IBM, 103

ideas, 111

if-then planning, 222–233

if-then statements, 121

important priorities, 129

incapacity, 101

industry trends, 61–71

information

categorizing into themes, 68

detecting patterns in, 68

integration of, 121–122

interpreting, 18–19

missing, 116

sources of, 64–66

information overload, 136, 231

innovation, 38–39

insights, 35–36, 67–70

internal politics, 95–96

internal resources and capabilities, 277–278

internal risks, 47

internal signals, 62–63

interpretation skills, 18–19

interviews, with stakeholders, 78–79

Iny, Alan, 85–90

irrational behavior, 114–115

Jobs, Steve, 208

Kahneman, Daniel, 114, 179–180, 228

Kanter, Rosabeth Moss, 91–106

Kenny, Graham, 73–80

Keynes, John Maynard, 100

key objectives, 267–268

Kiefer, Charlie, 245–249

KJ diagrams, 122

knowledge, breadth of, 7

Krupp, Steve, 13–26

Lai, Lisa, 173–177, 251–257

Larson, Erik, 113–117

layoffs, 82

leaders. See leadership

leadership

agile, 28–32

consistent, 28, 29, 30–32

development, 103

gender differences in, 101–102

priority setting by, 127–134

strategic, 7, 13–26, 173–177

team, 185–191

thought, 173, 256–257

21st-century, 101

zoom framework and, 91–105

learning, from failures, 22–24

legacy work, 174

Leinwand, Paul, 205–212, 213

Leonard, Orla, 213–219

letting go, aversion to, 144–148

Lidow, Derek, 127–134

Lineback, Kent, 55–58

listening, to customers, 75, 78–79

logical decision making, 144–145

long-term outcomes, 165–167

long-term thinking, 81–84, 85, 98

lost causes, 228–231

macro trends, 65–66

managers

as communicators, 281

conflicting messages from, 245–249

as coordinators, 280–281

decision making by, 113–117

gender differences in, 101–102

hands-off, 135–141

strategic thinking by, 4, 5

tapping into expertise of other, 255–257

turf protection by, 96–97

Manville, Brook, 155–162

March, James G., 120

Martin, Roger L., 51–53

McDonald, Robert, 98

McKeown, Greg, 140

megatrends, 88–89

Menon, Tanya, 119–124

mental models, 87–88

messages, conflicting, 245–249

mission statements, 52

motivation, of employees, 208–209, 211

narrative fallacy, 180

need-based positioning, 273

needs, company vs. department, 167–168

Neilson, Gary, 238–239

networks

developmental, 56

operational, 55–56

strategic, 55–58

trend spotting and, 65

Nooyi, Indra, 102–103

Novartis, 102

novelties, 99

Obama, Barack, 100

objectives, 128. See also strategic goals and objectives

Ongor, Akin, 97–98

openness, 7

operational networks, 55–56

operational processes, 31

operational thinking, 74, 75

opportunities, 13, 15, 148, 263, 276–277, 278

opportunity costs, 145–146, 149

organizational goals. See also strategic goals and objectives

accomplishing, 221–234

aligning team around, 9

resources devoted to, 150–151

organizational identity, 214–215

organizational learning, 22–24

organizational strategy. See strategy

organizations

external forces affecting, 64–67

external view of, 73–80

fundamental beliefs of, 87–88

purpose of, 262

strategic objectives of. See strategic goals and objectives

organizing framework, for priorities, 137–140

outdated objectives, letting go of, 143–154

outside perspective, 73–80

outward focus, 6

passion, 137

past successes, letting go of, 144–148

patterns, spotting, 61–71

PepsiCo, 102–103

personal board of directors, 239

personalizing, 94–97

perspective. See also big-picture perspective

close-in, 93–97, 104

far-out, 97–100, 105

point of view, 37–38

Porter, Michael, 272, 279

pragmatic action, 252–254

priorities

conflicting, 136

critical, 128–129, 131

desirable, 129–130

filtering, 136–137

flagging in calendar, 140

important, 129

legacy, 174

managing trade-offs for, 163–169

organizing framework for, 137–140

rank ordering, 127–128, 134

resource allocation for, 130–134

setting, 9, 127–134, 135–141, 216–217, 266–267

spreadsheet for, 132

taking ownership of, 136

types of, 128–130

Prius, 272–273

problem-finding mindset, 121

problems, defining, 120–121

problem solving, 16–18

Procter & Gamble, 98, 103

projects

individual, 151

legacy, 174

letting go of, 143–154

lost causes, 228–231

process for winnowing, 150–154

zombie, 146, 152

promotions, 33–34, 35, 38

pros-and-cons lists, 114, 164–165

prospective thinking, 88–90

psychology, 114–115

quarterly reports, 81–82

questioning

asking big questions, 70

fundamental beliefs of organization, 87–88

of status quo, 16–18

strategic, 173–177, 259–269

by strategic thinkers, 7

rank ordering, of priorities, 127–128, 134

rational choice theory, 114

real costs, 145

reflection, 109–112

relationships

building, 101–102, 202

strategic, 111

research, 65

resources

allocation of, 130–134, 143–144, 221

cutting objectives and reallocating, 151–152

internal, 277–278

for priorities, 128, 129–130

redirecting, 176

for strategic goals, 159–160

rigidity, 28

ripple effects, 69

risk, 85, 261

risk analysis, 47–49

Rotering, Joachim, 205–212

Rothschild, Nathan, 13

“safe zone” meetings, 17

scenario planning, 16, 180–183

Schiemann, William, 5

Schlesinger, Len, 245–249

Schoemaker, Paul J. H., 13–26

Schultz, Howard, 206–207

self-reflection, 97

senior leaders, strategic thinking by, 4

short-term expectations, 81–84

short-term outcomes, 165–167

short-term strategies, 253–254

small tasks, 152–153

The Social Network, 99

Southwest Airlines, 272, 279

stakeholders

buy-in from, 21–22

disagreements among, 160–161

identifying internal and external, 22, 262–263

influencing, 217

listening to, 75, 78–79

Starbucks, 206–207

status quo

bias for, 148

challenging, 16–18

Strategic Aptitude Self-Assessment, 22–24, 25–26

strategic change, 38–39

strategic goals and objectives

aligning decisions with, 265–266

analyzing risk in, 47–49

bandwidth for, 159–160

conflicting, 155–161

defining, 45–46

information gathering on, 44–46

letting go of outdated, 143–154

rebalancing, 160–161

sequencing, 159

trade-offs in, 163–169

strategic leadership, 7, 13–26, 173–177

strategic networks, 55–58

strategic planning, 31, 39

strategic priorities. See priorities

strategic relationships, 111

strategic thinking

benefits of, 3–4

challenges of, 5–7

characteristics of, 6–7

defined, 2–4

demonstrating, 34, 37–39

developing, 34–37

need for, 1–10

prioritizing, 36–37

putting into action, 8–10

questions to inspire, 259–269

reflection and, 109–112

skills, 33–40

strategic vision. See vision

strategy

actions as, 51–53

activities to support, 279–280

building, 209–210

for change, 278–279

changing, 251–257

choice making and, 155–156

communication of, 196

context for, 238–239

defined, 272–275

defining, 214

developing, 238, 271, 275–281

execution. See strategy execution

growth, 156–158

link between execution and, 205–212

reacting to flawed, 237–243

risks of, 261

short-term, 253–254

for the strategy, 158–161

translating into everyday processes, 210, 215

unclear, 251–257

understanding organization’s, 8, 43–49, 260–261

strategy execution, 9–10, 156, 158–161

budgets and, 208, 210

challenges of, 213–219

excelling at, 205–212

if-then planning for, 222–233

overcoming obstacles to, 223–225

as people problem, 195–203

by teams, 213–219, 221–234, 267–268

strategy statements, 52

stress, 136

Su, Amy Jen, 135–141

subgoals, 231

success, measuring, 175–176

succession plans, 94, 216

Sull, Don, 238, 239, 240, 241

Summers, Lawrence, 99

sunk costs, 228–229

talent, 160, 216

Target, 273, 274

tasks

delegating, 129–130, 153

low-value, 153–154

small, 152–153

zombie, 146, 152

team meetings, 218–219

team members

communication with, 255

understanding, 186–187

teams

aligning around organizational goals, 9

challenges facing, 225–233

communicating vision to, 185–191, 269

evaluating success of, 175–176

goals for, 221–223

groupthink and, 226–227

high-performing, 214–219

if-then planning with, 225–233

questions to ask, 174–177

strategic leadership of, 173–177

strategic thinking by, 4, 268

strategy execution by, 213–219, 221–234, 267–268

time use by, 218–219

technology, 115

Telex, 147–148, 150

thinking

creative, 85–90

design, 122

long-term, 81–84, 85, 98

operational, 74, 75

prospective, 88–90

strategic. See strategic thinking

Thompson, Leigh, 119–124

thought leaders, 173, 256–257

threats

identifying, 276–277

prioritizing, 278

time, for strategic thinking, 36–37

time demands, 109–110, 218

timing, 128, 129–130

to-do lists, 151, 152, 153, 154, 221–222

Toyoda, Sakichi, 17

Toyota, 272–273

trade-offs, 9, 127, 145, 163–169, 266–267

trends

impact of, 88–90

implications of, 68–69

inside of company, 264–265

macro, 65–66

megatrends, 88–89

outside of company, 64–67

spotting, 61–71

understanding, 35–36

turf protection, 96–97

Tversky, Amos, 228

uncertainty, 6, 47, 85, 251–257

undiscussability, 247–248

unexpected situations, planning for, 228–229

value creation, 81–84, 253

variety-based positioning, 273

Vasella, Daniel, 102

Veblen, Thorstein, 101

vision

communicating, 185–191, 269

converting to action, 188

emphasizing benefits of, 188–189

personal, 37–38

strategic, 83

Walmart, 273

weak ties, 57–58

Wiita, Nathan, 213–219

women, as leaders, 101–102

workload

prioritizing, 135–141

taking stock of, 174–175

zombie projects, 146, 152

zoom framework, 91–105

balancing both perspectives, 101–105

zooming in, 93–97, 104

zooming out, 97–100, 105

Zuckerberg, Mark, 99