Here's how you can continuously improve your strategic thinking abilities and stay ahead of the competition.

There are 2 main ways to improve strategic thinking: 1) Breathe Externally: Immerse yourself in completely unrelated areas, travel, observe, learn something that has no relationship to your job / profession / industry, dabble ... because as you do that, learnings from completely unrelated areas may give you strategic insights. For eg; it is said that the business courier industry got their 'hub-&-spoke' model from Mumbai's lunchbox distribution networks 2) Breathe Internally: Your mind knows the answer, listen to it ... Meditate (yes, you read that correct; meditate!), calm yourself, hear your breath, observe it, feel it; practice mindfulness and your own mind may surprise you with it's deep lucidity and prescience of insightful patterns

Ao nutrir a curiosidade em seu interior, você estará aperfeiçoando suas habilidades de pensamento estratégico e se preparando para navegar com sucesso nos desafios e oportunidades que o futuro reserva.

It is essential to grow curiosity to continuously improve your strategic thinking abilities and stay ahead of the competition. Curiosity is a key trait of strategic thinkers, as it involves being genuinely interested in what's happening in your unit, company, industry, and the wider business environment. Strategic thinkers constantly consider how conditions may change in the future and are open to identifying trends and patterns in their industry. By cultivating curiosity, you can broaden your knowledge, ask insightful questions, and challenge assumptions, ultimately enhancing your strategic thinking skills and staying ahead of the competition (HBR guide to thinking strategically. 2019).

Constantly question assumptions and seeking out new perspectives. For instance, when navigating a complex legal issue in the corporate realm, instead of relying solely on established precedents, I make it a habit to delve deeper into the underlying principles and explore alternative interpretations. This curiosity-driven approach not only broadens my understanding but also allows me to uncover innovative solutions that others may overlook. By asking "What if?" and "Why not?" I continuously challenge conventional wisdom, fostering a culture of creativity and adaptability within my team.

Curiosity is a great way to improve strategic thinking. When you approach strategic subjects, it's important to ask as many questions as possible to understand the strategic decision process. Avoid inferring or assuming. Educate yourself and deepen your research to understand the strategic choices. The search for “how” will guide you on the way in which strategic thinking is done but will not allow you to understand the entire scope of the strategic process. On the other hand, the search for “Why” will be useful to identify the reasons for the strategic decision process.

O pensamento estratégico não é um dom inato, mas sim uma habilidade que pode ser desenvolvida e aprimorada através do aprendizado contínuo. Alimente sua mente curiosa, expanda seus horizontes e torne-se um mestre da estratégia no mundo em constante mudança.

"The more you read, the more things you shall know. The more that you learn, the more places you shall go." – Dr. Seuss How? Read more books and get an audiobook subscription, listen to podcasts on the way to work instead of music, sign up for online courses, subscribe to online channels & tools that teach new skills, and get out of your comfort zone - don't only learn about skills you have or need currently.

Personally, I allocate time each week to explore emerging technologies and their potential applications in our legal practice. Whether it's attending webinars, enrolling in online courses, or even experimenting with new software tools, the pursuit of knowledge is relentless. For example, by staying abreast of advancements in AI-driven contract analysis, I discovered a more efficient way to review and draft contracts, saving both time and resources for our team. Embracing a mindset of lifelong learning not only keeps me informed but also cultivates a sense of adaptability and agility, vital qualities for staying ahead of the competition in the fast-paced legal landscape.

Strategic thinking is a process that requires regular updating of knowledge. Current events are constantly evolving and many innovations are being made in different markets. As a strategist, you must never stop looking for new trends, developments and new practices. Interact with your teams, chat with other experts to gather ideas. Also, it's important to participate in seminars, conferences, round tables on several themes. Certain scientific magazines are also useful and will broaden your field of vision.

To be able to apply effective strategic thinking, one has to build strong business acumen. Keeping abreast and understanding the external and internal environment is key and how that impacts the company’s strategy and direction. Understand the risk and opportunities and establish scenario planning to be prepared. Ensure you engage and collaborate with your stakeholders, customers and suppliers where needed to align towards the strategic plans and directions. This helps a lot when it comes to execution of the strategy.

Ao dedicar-se à análise profunda, você constrói um alicerce sólido para o pensamento estratégico eficaz. As estratégias derivadas dessa abordagem meticulosa são robustas, pois levam em consideração diversos fatores e são testadas contra diferentes cenários. Essa robustez aumenta as chances de sucesso e garante que seus projetos e negócios permaneçam resilientes diante das adversidades.

I believe that strategic thinking is basically a «connecting the dots» process that happens inside your brain, therefore, the more «dots» (especially information/experiences seemingly unrelated to your work) you can put into your brain, the more productive that «connecting the dots» process will be.

Ferramentas estratégicas são princípios fundamentais para a transposição dos dados brutos em informações gerenciais. Elas permitem que, desde o nível mais baixo até o mais alto da hierarquia possa contribuir. Os diversos profissionais e hierarquias devem contribuir, de acordo com sua especificidade, a fim de, quando integrados, produzirem o melhor efeito.

Os insights obtidos através da reflexão servem como alicerce para a construção de um futuro estratégico sólido. Ao aprender com suas experiências e reconhecer seus vieses, você toma decisões mais conscientes e assertivas, aumentando as chances de alcançar seus objetivos.

Personally, I schedule regular sessions to review past decisions and outcomes, probing into what worked well and what could have been improved. For instance, after completing a major merger negotiation, I set aside time to reflect on the strategies employed, the challenges faced, and the lessons learned. This reflective practice not only helps me refine my approach but also fosters a culture of continuous improvement within my team. By pausing to analyze past experiences, I gain deeper insights into my own decision-making processes, enabling me to make more informed choices in the future.

Nem todas as decisões terão finais perfeitos. "Evite provocar os erros mais comuns" (Charlie Munger). Através da curiosidade posta nas etapas anteriores, utilize ela agora também, para refletir, e avaliar se a outra alternativa possível, ou se surgiu outra melhor ao longo do processo (parafraseando Umbrella Strategy by Mintzberg).

Looking back at what one has accomplished as a strategy professional through their continuous learning efforts and introspecting helps to understand where we are and where we want to be. Reflecting on our professional performance and the contribution of our learnings to our work is pivotal in determining the need for maintaining our competitive advantage. Reading relevant books and articles based on our reflection of our own work and the work of our team is a good way to build our strategic thinking abilities. Writing down the learnings based on our reflections of any personal or professional turning point in our lives is a good way to materialize our strategic thinking abilities in to tangible and workable insights.

Actively seek different perspectives to widen your horizons. Sounds obvious but most people like to confirm their existing biases by surrounding themselves with people who simply agree, usually because difficult confrontations are hard. Internal self-reflection is extremely important, as is getting external feedback.

Ao trabalhar em conjunto, você alavanca a inteligência coletiva do grupo, criando um potencial estratégico muito maior do que a soma das capacidades individuais. Essa força amplificada permite que você supere obstáculos, desenvolva soluções inovadoras e alcance resultados extraordinários que talvez não fossem possíveis trabalhando sozinho.

I prioritize building strong relationships with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and expertise areas. For example, when tackling a complex litigation case, I actively seek input from not only fellow attorneys but also paralegals, legal tech specialists, and even external consultants. This collaborative approach not only enriches our collective understanding but also encourages innovative problem-solving. By fostering a culture of open communication and mutual respect, we leverage each other's strengths to navigate intricate legal challenges with agility and finesse. Remember, effective collaboration isn't just about working together; it's about harnessing the collective intelligence of the team to achieve strategic excellence.

“Strategy without execution is hallucination.” (attributed to) Thomas Edison. Piloting the strategic idea with a specific geography, product or within a smaller team can create the learnings & validation for a more successful full-scale strategy implementation. More crucially, it can bolster the collective organizational buy-in necessary for successful execution of the strategy.

Get acquainted with the Blue Ocean Strategy. It provides a great framework for differentiating oneself in a crowded space where it's hard to outperform others. This strategy teaches methodologies for identifying new markets and creating a niche in which others are less likely to operate while running the endeavour cost-effectively.

The biggest constraint to continuous improving your strategic thinking is carving out the time to think, especially in a fast paced world. Make it a habit. Be curious daily, but carve out regular time to do the big thinking. Ideally with a block of time which allows you to disconnect from the pressures of the day to day world. Give it the whole day if you can and switch off your devices and notification. Put a block of time in your diary each month, or week as a reminder. If you give the time away, you will know you have compromised your thinking. And then, go for a walk. Times when you walk, even commuting, can count.