**Are Great Strategic Thinkers Born or Made?**
The answer is simple: Yes. Strategic thinking, like many human capabilities, is a blend of nature, nurture, and experience. While some individuals may have a natural aptitude for recognizing patterns and making insightful decisions, the skill can also be developed through deliberate effort and training.
Michael Watkins, professor of leadership at IMD Business School, explores this in *The Six Disciplines of Strategic Thinking*. He argues that while an initial endowment helps, true mastery comes from practice and refinement. Just as a world-class marathoner needs both genetics and training, great strategic thinkers must cultivate their abilities over time.
At the core of strategic thinking are six key disciplines:
1. **Pattern Recognition** – The ability to filter out noise and identify meaningful trends, much like a chess grandmaster who sees opportunities, power concentrations, and vulnerabilities on the board.
2. **Systems Analysis** – Understanding complex, interdependent structures, recognizing that even the best models—like those used for climate predictions—are simplifications of reality.
3. **Mental Agility** – The capacity to shift between high-level strategic vision and detailed execution, often described as “cloud-to-ground” thinking.
4. **Structured Problem-Solving** – Engaging teams in a rigorous process to frame and resolve high-stakes organizational challenges while ensuring alignment among stakeholders.
5. **Visioning** – Crafting an ambitious yet achievable future that excites and motivates people without overwhelming them.
6. **Political Acumen** – Navigating organizational dynamics strategically, using sequencing tactics to build influence and momentum without triggering resistance.
In today's fast-changing world, leaders who master these disciplines rise quickly. Strategic thinking isn’t just a skill—it’s the defining factor that determines who advances to the top.
Are you developing yours?
“I'm often asked, “Are great strategic thinkers born, or are they made?” And my answer is always yes. Like so many valuable human capabilities, it’s a mixture of nature, nurture, and experience.”
Strategic thinking has always been a critical skill at the top: Leaders must be able to recognize emerging challenges and opportunities, establish the right priorities, and critically mobilize their people to adapt to the many changes that are going on.Michael Watkins, author of The 6 Disciplines of Strategic Thinking, has defined six key mental disciplines that underlie our ability to recognize, prioritize, and mobilize. Want to become the smartest person in the room and a better leader at work? Implement these six core skills to master your mind. Timestamps: 00:00 - Born or made?01:40 - 6 disciplines 01:48 - Pattern recognition02:28 - Systems analysis03:26 - Mental agility04:02 - Structured problem-solving04:58 - Visioning5:44 - Political savvy
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About Michael WatkinsMichael D. Watkins is a professor of leadership at the IMD Business School and a co-founder of Genesis Advisers. He was a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Harvard Business School, and is the author of The Six Disciplines of Strategic Thinking and the international bestseller The First 90 Days.
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