In every sector today, one capability is rising above all others as the differentiator of effective leadership: to think strategically. It helps you to look beyond the immediate pressures of the present, reinterpret what is happening around you, and make intentional, interrelated choices that position you and your organisation for the future.
Yet most professionals, including many in senior roles, have never been taught how to think strategically or don’t understand what it means in practice. They are promoted for competence, execution, technical expertise or stakeholder confidence, and are then suddenly expected to elevate their thinking without any guidance or development. But the requisite skills, mindset and behaviours are teachable.
Your organisation needs leaders who can think beyond today. Your career needs it too
Why the ability to think strategically matters now
Today, leaders at every level are expected to interpret complexity, spot patterns early, challenge assumptions, manage paradoxes and make intelligent choices in ambiguous conditions. Three trends are driving this shift:
- The sheer pace of change. Innovation cycles are shorter, technologies are advancing faster, and customer expectations are reshaping industries at a speed at which many teams struggle to keep up. Leaders who can only think operationally are constantly reacting, always firefighting. Strategic thinkers are more aware; they anticipate, adapt and reposition.
- The volume of information. We are increasingly drowning in data but starved of meaning. Strategic thinkers cut through the noise. They see the few things that really matter instead of being overwhelmed by the many things that don’t.
- The growing complexity of decisions. Trade-offs are more visible and more consequential. Strategic thinking helps leaders compare options, evaluate potential implications, and choose based on long-term impact rather than short-term relief or pressure.
You cannot think strategically if you never step back far enough to see the bigger picture
Strategic thinking is a learnable set of habits
The leaders who think most strategically practise three habits consistently.
1 They make space to zoom out
Most professionals spend their week deep in the detail: deadlines, emails, decisions, meetings, operational challenges, people issues. Without deliberate effort, the urgent rapidly crowds out the important.
Strategic thinkers set aside time, regularly and intentionally, to zoom out. This might be 15-30 minutes each morning, one afternoon per week, or a protected monthly review. The timing matters less than the discipline. The practise of ‘zooming out’ allows leaders to see:
- How the market is shifting – and what is driving the change
- What customers are beginning to value differently
- Where risks are emerging and opportunities are opening
- Where assumptions are lurking unchecked.
You cannot think strategically if you never step back far enough to see the bigger picture.
2 They ask better questions
Strategic thinkers do not jump to answers. They begin with questions. Not small questions; big ones. Questions such as:
- What is truly changing here?
- What assumptions are we relying on and are they still valid?
- What would have to be true for a radically better outcome to be possible?
- Where could this go next if we are wrong?
Better questions widen perspective, challenge bias, improve judgement and surface insights that no dashboard can deliver. They force leaders to look beyond the obvious.
3 They embrace uncertainty instead of fighting it
One of the most misunderstood aspects of strategic thinking is the belief that it requires perfect clarity. It doesn’t. In fact, the best strategic leaders I’ve worked with are often the ones most comfortable with ambiguity.
They understand that:
- Few decisions come with full information
- The future rarely unfolds neatly
- Certainty is often an illusion
- Progress matters more than perfection.
Instead of waiting for the ‘right’ moment, strategic thinkers explore possibilities, test assumptions and move forward with intention. They balance confidence with humility and course-correct when the world changes.
Strategic thinking is the currency of modern leadership. It is how organisations differentiate talent, identify future leaders and build resilient teams
Why this matters for your career
Whether you lead a team of 10 or influence a system of thousands, your strategic contribution is increasingly visible. Employers are actively seeking leaders who can:
- Shift from execution to insight
- Help their organisations navigate complexity
- Connect day-to-day actions to longer-term direction
- Make sound decisions in uncertainty
- Spot opportunities others miss.
Those who can do this rise quickly. Those who cannot risk being left behind, no matter how hard they work or how experienced they are.
Strategic thinking is the currency of modern leadership. It is how organisations differentiate talent, identify future leaders and build resilient teams.
The good news
Start small. Be more aware. Make space to zoom out. Ask bigger, better questions. Notice patterns. Explore possibilities. Strengthen your curiosity. Challenge your own and other people’s assumptions.
Your organisation needs leaders who can think beyond today. Your career needs it too.
The sooner you begin developing this capability, the more prepared you will be for the leadership challenges – and opportunities – that lie ahead.
Charlie Curson is a strategic adviser, accredited leadership coach and the author of Be More Strategic: 12 Essential Practices for the Life and Career You Want. He advises founders, leaders and teams on strategy, leadership and growth, and is an angel investor in early-stage businesses.
