Strategic Thinking

In this chapter we review the first pillar of the creative model of leadership. Strategic thinking is a key competence expected from leaders who set the direction to follow. Goals and priorities should be able to mobilize followers by giving them the feeling that they can make an impact. Strategic thinking is a rational approach that places great demands on the prefrontal cortex and the narrow window of attention available to access information in our working memory. In contrast, predictive intelligence or intuitive thinking is based on a massive parallel processing that operates unconsciously and feeds inferences and predictions in the form of intuition, a rapid judgment process which mostly eludes our conscious mind. Many managers prefer to use their intuitive functioning to avoid recondite analyses, but intuition must be trained to be trusted. Eventually, intuition leads to a third option, creativity. But establishing a convincing strategic approach looks like a hard to achieve mirage. In fact, strategic thinking is weakened and constrained by our biases. The bias of immediate reward prevents long-term strategic thinking, and the confirmation bias prevents questioning and innovating. Taking the long path toward the creative leadership model requires mitigating biases and motivating people, as long-term strategic thinking is essential to activate clear lines of action and priorities that will mobilize the whole organization.