What does it mean to be a strategic thinker—and how can you build your strategic-thinking muscle? It comes down to three key competencies: acumen (how you think), allocation (how you plan), and action (what you do). Here’s how to develop each one.

* Acumen. Start by assessing your organization’s current context, both from an internal perspective (culture, purpose, processes, etc.) and external perspective (market trends, customer behavior, competitive landscape, etc..). Then get comfortable sharing your valuable insights with your team and key stakeholders. Finally, look for novel approaches to the problems and opportunities you identify.

* Allocation. A strategic mindset entails the ability to constantly focus and refocus your resources, the courage to make trade-offs and tough decisions, and the willingness to ensure that your use of resources always aligns with your goals and pushes you forward.

* Action. Preparing a strategy is just the first step; how you implement it determines your success. Implementation depends on collaboration and execution. So focus on sharpening your communication skills to deliver your messages effectively (listening to feedback when it arises), and keep your team on track by measuring its performance along the way.
This tip is adapted from “How to Become a Better Strategic Thinker,” by Rich Horwath
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