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Brain Circuits
A strategic thinker’s workout: Try this daily mental fitness routine
Committing to a daily mental fitness regime will strengthen your cognitive abilities. The goal is to enhance your strategic thinking, which I see as the most important skill for leaders today.
Facing rapid advances in technology, economic uncertainty, and political instability, our current challenges require strategic thinking of the highest order.
In my new book, The Six Disciplines of Strategic Thinking, I identify the cognitive skills that are most important for leaders facing these challenges. They are pattern recognition, systems analysis, mental agility, structured problem-solving, visioning, and political savvy.
While it’s important to know what they are, leaders should also know how to cultivate them. For this, regular mental exercise is essential.
Here’s a daily mental fitness routine I developed as the best way to build and strengthen your cognitive abilities. Designed to be efficient to fit leaders’ schedules, activities can be spaced out over the course of a day.
Total Duration: 45 minutes per day
- 1. Morning business news analysis (10 minutes)
- Activity – Read or listen to the latest business news.
- Goal – To stay informed about current events and trends.
- Approach – Focus on identifying patterns and potential implications for your organization.
- 2. Mindful reflection (5 minutes)
- Activity – Practice mindfulness or meditative breathing.
- Goal – To clear your mind and improve focus.
- Approach – Concentrate on the present moment, setting a calm foundation for strategic thought.
- 3. Scenario visualization (10 minutes)
- Activity – Imagine a future scenario related to your business.
- Goal – To enhance proactive and creative thinking.
- Approach – Think about how different trends could impact this future and visualize various outcomes.
- 4. Problem-solving puzzles (5 minutes)
- Activity – Solve a puzzle or brainteaser, for example, the New York Times’ Wordle or Connections or the daily chess puzzle on Chess.com.
- Goal – To stimulate analytical and creative problem-solving skills.
- Approach – Choose puzzles that challenge different aspects of your thinking.
- 5. Strategic journaling (7 minutes)
- Activity – Write a brief journal entry about a strategic idea or insight.
- Goal – To develop the habit of articulating strategic thoughts.
- Approach – Reflect on a strategic topic or idea and write down your insights or potential strategies.
- 6. Short connection session (7 minutes)
- Activity – Engage in a quick conversation with a colleague or mentor about a strategic issue or concern.
- Goal – To build political savvy and gain diverse perspectives.
- Approach – Discuss a strategic topic, ask for feedback, or share insights.
As you do this, keep a few things in mind. First, stay flexible. For example, play a variety of puzzle games to ensure that your regimen remains engaging and challenging. Tailor the duration and content of these activities to maximize their impact on your strategic thinking skills.
Second, engage with others to share insights. By doing so, you can foster a collaborative environment that enriches the learning experience and builds others’ strategic-thinking abilities. This not only broadens your perspective but also enhances collective knowledge.
Finally, take time to reflect and adapt. Regularly evaluate how your training regime influences your thought processes and decision-making skills. Make adjustments as needed, refining your approach to align with your evolving understanding and proficiency in strategic thinking. This will ensure that you continue to develop your capabilities.
Further reading:
The Six Disciplines of Strategic Thinking (2024)Authors
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Further reading:
Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Authors
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Join us for daily exercises focusing on issues from team building to developing an actionable sustainability plan to personal development. Go on - they only take five minutes.
Explore Leadership
What makes a great leader? Do you need charisma? How do you inspire your team? Our experts offer actionable insights through first-person narratives, behind-the-scenes interviews and The Help Desk.
Join Membership
Log in here to join in the conversation with the I by IMD community. Your subscription grants you access to the quarterly magazine plus daily articles, videos, podcasts and learning exercises.