Strategic Thinking

Strategic Thinking

Book cover for "Thinking Sideways" by Jennifer Shahade, featuring chess pieces and orange-tan checkered pattern; subtitle: "How to Think Like a Chess Player and Win at Life.
In this excerpt from her new book, Jennifer Shahade argues that the smartest move in life, as in chess, is sometimes a sideways one.
Aerial view of a speeding motorboat leaving a wake near a slower rowboat on dark blue water.
Your real competitive edge isn’t how smart you are — it’s how quickly you can reinvent yourself when the rules change.
Angus Fletcher, a man in a suit and glasses, stands in profile, touching his face in a dimly lit room with blurred lights and equipment in the background.
The great investor instinctively knew that humans are much smarter than computers in volatile environments. So he bet on common sense.
A person wearing a light-colored cloak stands in a dense, green forest, surrounded by tall trees and moss-covered ground—an ideal setting for quiet reflection and systems thinking.
Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.
Book cover of "Strange Stability" by Benjamin Wilson, featuring a green pen vertically centered on a beige background with red and green text—reflecting themes of nuclear deterrence.
In this excerpt from "Strange Stability," Benjamin Wilson explores how the concept of "deterrence" went from explaining criminal behavior to becoming a nuclear strategy.
Two figures in military gear salute, rendered in white and red with visible brain scans over their heads, set against a black background—a striking nod to the neuroscience of war.
In “Warhead,” neuroscientist and national security adviser Nicholas Wright explains how the brain navigates warfare and why it is our ultimate weapon (and instrument for peace).
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Members
Game theory, originating in economics, is the science of strategic thinking applicable to various fields, including biology and diplomacy, and is crucial for decision-making in all aspects of business, according to game theorist Kevin Zollman.
A man in a blue shirt and white pants sits on a white chair in a studio, with lamps and tables in the background and a white backdrop behind him.
Members
Ian Bremmer advocates for strategic thinking in a rapidly changing world by broadening perspectives, engaging with diverse viewpoints, and understanding root causes, while also stressing the need for personal authenticity and connection to effectively tackle global challenges.
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Members
Economist Larry Summers suggests that instead of judging decisions by their outcomes, we should evaluate them based on the rational process used to develop strategies, considering all relevant costs, benefits, and consequences.
Abstract geometric design featuring concentric circles, quartered background, and scattered solid and outlined dots in blue, green, and white hues.
Members
Strategic thinking, as defined by Michael Watkins, involves critically and creatively envisioning potential futures beyond the current situation, and he outlines six specific disciplines to intentionally cultivate this mindset.
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Members
Suzy Welch argues that the persistent narrative separating management from leadership overlooks their essential intersection, with effective leaders mastering both inspiring vision and detailed execution, a blend she terms “lanaging.”
A group of colorful poker chips, including red, blue, black, and green, fall through the air against a black background.
5mins
“If you ask a computer, it will say, most of the time you want to either be raising or folding, right? You want to take an aggressive action or quit. I think this is a great metaphor for lots of things in real life, too.”
John Candeto, in a white shirt, smiles while sitting outdoors near stone steps and green potted plants.
Fund manager and writer John Candeto is on a mission to decode the hidden patterns that drive extraordinary outcomes.
Collage featuring a snail, two hands gripping a baton symbolizing succession, and a boat, overlaid on a pink and black grid pattern with the text "THE NIGHTCRAWLER" at the top.
Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.
Abstract illustration of tall, grid-patterned skyscrapers interspersed with textured blue marble-like panels evokes a sense of innovation, reminiscent of a blue ocean strategy, set against a light background.
When organizations focus on finding new markets, the returns can be spectacular — as a case study from Australia perfectly illustrates.
Black-and-white portrait of Andrew Mayne centered on a collage background featuring sharks on the left and a hand holding a magician’s hat and wand on the right.
The outrageously accomplished magician-inventor-author chats to Big Think about fear, multitasking, and successful work-life reinvention.
A dinosaur stands in a field as a flaming asteroid falls from the sky; bold text reads "DON'T BE THE DINOSAUR.
8mins
"You need to embrace these systems and try out what's going on because if you don't understand it, you really can't hope to help your organization adapt and stay in front of this momentous, world-changing technology."
A collage with “The Nightcrawler” text, a grayscale photo of a tractor in a field, and a blue-tinted portrait of a man in a suit, layered on blue backgrounds with chart graphics that hint at long-term investing trends.
Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.
Barry Ritholtz, a man in a suit and tie, stands confidently before a blue zigzag line on a light backdrop.
Barry Ritholtz — market commentator, founder of Ritholtz Wealth Management, and podcast host — shares what really trips investors up.
A person sits on a stool against a blue background with black and white geometric diagrams, including lines, circles, squares, and triangles.
Honing your skills as a strategic thinker does more than solve problems as they appear; it can be a fast track to the top.
A person with long curly hair and a headband gestures with one hand, wearing a black shirt that says "everyday" and a smartwatch on the other wrist, against a plain background.
13mins
"The truth is that the skills that go into both motivation and manipulation are almost the same skills. The same level of persuasion, the same level of influence, the same level of charisma and dynamic creative thinking drives us to both be manipulated and be motivated."
A group of people watches a large wildfire at night, with flames lighting up the sky in the background.
Effective leadership requires long-term strategy — not tactical reactions.
A collage featuring a partial face overlaid with "I Voted" stickers alongside the text "The Night Crawler," embodying the relentless drive reminiscent of a Zuckerberg mantra.
Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.
Illustration of two human silhouettes facing each other with neural connections and nodes, featuring the text "BORN AND MADE" on a green background.
7mins
“I'm often asked: “Are great strategic thinkers born, or are they made?” And my answer is always yes. Like so many human capabilities, it’s a mixture of nature, nurture and experience.”
An open book with a black-and-white photo of a woman on the left page and a close-up image of a flower bud on the right page.
Late bloomers often find their moment of transformation when life throws them a curveball.
Three wireframe human heads are depicted against a dark background, their complex overlapping patterns evocative of the Johari window model, revealing multifaceted layers within each head's structure.
It's hard to know what other people know. But it's not impossible.
Open book with an image of a brain on the left page and a pencil eraser unlearning old marks on the right page.
By unlearning old leadership mindsets, cultures, and assumptions we can move from Industrial Age thinking to Intelligence Age thinking.
Collage of graphical elements includes a plant, a salt shaker, and abstract designs with the text "THE NIGHTCRAWLER" and a small "resilient investing" logo in the corner.
Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.
Cover of "The Nightcrawler" featuring a chart showing China's economic growth surpassing the rest of the world, with a pixelated face overlaid. Emphasizing second-level thinking, the "Et . business" logo is in the bottom right corner.
Welcome to the Big Think debut of The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.
Close-up of a person's ear and partial profile of their face against a black and blue background, embodying the quiet confidence of a leader.
You can’t lead if you can’t listen.