The Six Disciplines of Strategic Thinking

THE DISCIPLINE OF PATTERN RECOGNITION

Leaders like Woods have decades of experience that enable them to see critical patterns, but they also work hard to supplement this knowledge and strengthen their mental models. As Woods says, “You need to be able to absorb a broad spectrum of data points, qualitative dynamics, ​experiences – ​and connect the ​dots – ​to form a hypothesis about the best bets to make on the future.” Making a similar point in an interview with the American business magazine Inc. , Fred W. Smith, the founder, former CEO and now executive chairman of FedEx, summarized his approach to taking in information about what is going on in the world, describing it as: The ability to assimilate information from many different disciplines all at o​nce – ​particularly information about change, because from change comes opportunity. So, you might be reading something about the cultural his tory of the United States and come to some realization about where the country is headed demographically. Smith went on to say that he reads close to four hours a day, consuming “everything from newspapers to books on manage ment theory and flight theory. I try to keep up with the latest technological developments through journals. And I’m fascin ated with the future.” 13 Case study analysis is another powerful approach that will help you improve your pattern recognition. You can absorb the lessons and build powerful mental models by consuming a diverse range of realistic “cases” (in-d​epth studies of a group, event, organization or industry) and reflecting on the experi ences depicted. Research suggests that exposure to depictions of reality is particularly impactful. 14

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