What do you do if your executives lack strategic thinking skills for making better business decisions?

Undertand the problem and be aware is always the key to find good solutions. My way to practise self reflection is to journal every day and note my thoughts, feelings and process in the decision making.

A good leader becomes a mentor who develops his staff, this includes commercial strategy techniques, you learn a lot in the field and practice, analyzing the competition, digital tools that allow decision making. Selling is an art and a science; you have to know how to interpret what the consumer wants to design strategies. As a leader, you teach people or hire a strategy specialist in the commercial area to multiply the knowledge of your team of executives.

I believe in the power of Reverse Engineering to identify gaps. Encourage your executives to dissect successful business decisions—whether it's a product launch, a marketing campaign, or a new market entry—and work backwards to understand the strategic thinking that went into it and the learnings to be applied to unsuccessful situations. By analyzing past wins, executives can uncover valuable insights and apply them to future decision-making.

Conducting a skill-gap assessment is a valuable initial step in pinpointing areas requiring improvement. For a leader, proficiency in understanding their team, establishing both short-term and long-term objectives, strategic planning, decision-making, effective communication, delegation of tasks, and monitoring execution is essential. Notably, strategic thinking skills come into play significantly when setting goals and making decisions. While gap analysis is a recommended practice, in reality, executives may struggle to prioritize allocating time for such exercises. Therefore, recommending the engagement of a leadership coach emerges as the most beneficial suggestion.

Not only feedback from mentors but also from peers. Having honest comments will help the person to understand. For the mentor, I would recommand a specialist in change management.

Executives bear significant responsibility for steering the course of a business. Thus, having a mentor or coach to support them is crucial. In particular, an experienced leadership coach can play a pivotal role in identifying skill gaps and facilitating pragmatic improvement. Therefore, the most beneficial step you can take for your executive is to recommend hiring a leadership coach. While mentoring can certainly be valuable, engaging a coach can provide targeted guidance to elevate them from their current state to where they aspire to be.

Gamify the Strategy Process. Who said strategy has to be boring? Turn strategic thinking into a game by gamifying the process. Whether it's a strategy board game, a simulation exercise, or even a virtual escape room, gamification can make strategic thinking more engaging and accessible for everyone involved. Plus, it fosters collaboration and creativity, two essential ingredients for effective decision-making.

Instead of sticking to traditional strategic planning methods, why not embrace a little chaos? Encourage your executives to explore scenario planning, where they consider multiple potential futures and develop strategies to thrive in each one. This approach not only hones strategic thinking skills but also prepares your organization to navigate uncertainty with confidence.

In my experience, drawing executives' attention to the decisions made throughout their day, is a helpful way to be mindful of the autonomy and agency they have in making decisions already. By acknowledging the choices we have, including the choice to do nothing, we become attuned to the decisions of various difficulty that we encounter and can understand the processes we use to make these decisions.

As a vice champion of the world of judo master and ju jituska, I would recommand brazilian ju jitsu as it helps to take good decision as well as stay fit.

Strategic thinking is a fundamental attribute of a Strategic Leader. They set long-term goals, allocate resources, and make decisions through a strategic lens. Not every individual occupying a leadership role possesses this skill. Consequently, it falls upon each person aspiring to leadership to embark on a journey of self-discovery, identifying their strengths and areas for development. Moreover, they must surround themselves with a proficient team capable of compensating for any skill gaps. For organizations, ensuring the presence of individuals proficient in all essential skills is paramount. When assuming a leadership role, it is important to recognize and utilize the talents effectively.

Unleash the Power of Cross-Disciplinary Thinking. Break down silos and encourage your executives to think beyond their own expertise. Encourage them to collaborate with colleagues from different departments or even completely unrelated industries to gain fresh perspectives and challenge their assumptions. Sometimes, the best strategic insights come from unexpected places.