Enterprises must move faster to gain competitive advantage, seize opportunities and manage emerging risks. Relying on habit, past assumptions or few data points will not suffice. It is just too dangerous to rush into being “decisive” without fully analyzing current circumstances. Today leaders must examine system interactions, multiple stakeholder goals, developing patterns and contradictory data. They must sharpen their thinking by considering more viewpoints, developing creative alternatives, assessing threats and consulting experts . In other words, we need to recognize it is time to sharpen our thinking practices.
Leaders at all levels sharpen our thinking when we choose to analyze a situation more carefully because it is complex, challenging or potentially precedent setting. As Einstein noted we cannot solve today’s problems with the same thinking that created them. We have to dive deeper and we can when we recognize the challenge.
