Strategic Thinking and Decision Making

Most boards and leadership teams deal with a relentless flow of surprises that increases the uncertainty they must manage. This book offers sturdy handrails for navigating and profiting from this mounting turmoil and unpredictability. Paul Schoemaker draws from his deep experience to make a compelling case for being open to different perspectives from diverse minds. By absorbing and applying his insights, leaders will be better prepared to avoid the pitfalls of focusing too narrowly or overlooking the broader strategic challenges.—George S. Day, Geoffrey T. Boisi Emeritus Professor, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, USA. This meticulously curated collection of articles by Paul Schoemaker is a much-needed portal into a wealth of insights linking strategic thinking and planning with strategic action. This book is an ideal “practitioner guide” for leaders seeking to enhance their organization’s resilience and adaptive capabilities. A pressing leadership challenge today is to see and shape the future strategically while also “triaging” immediate challenges—be they competitive, geo-political, technological, regulatory, etc.—Govi Rao, CEO, Phase Change Solutions and Founding Partner of the Carbon Group Global, USA. This comprehensive book is neither one idea elaborated with the author’s personal experiences nor fashionably clothed conventional wisdom. It is unconventional, counterintuitive wisdom, with many compelling business examples.—J. Edward Russo, SC Johnson Family Professor of Management Emeritus at the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management, USA. This book showcases Schoemaker’s brilliant insights into proactive leadership in turbulent times. His unconventional wisdom provides a masterful roadmap for entrepreneurial leaders to parry threats and transform challenges into opportunities. Schoemaker’s genius shines in his approach to learning from failure and seeing future changes sooner. This pragmatic book offers leaders a crucial edge in anticipating the future and staying ahead.—Toomas H. Truumees, Founder and CEO of Burnout Anticipation Technologies, USA. Paul Schoemaker has been a trailblazer guiding organizational learning, innovation, and leadership in uncertain environments for four decades. In this book, he masterfully curates his writings for business leaders with unparalleled insight and clarity. A must-read for anyone serious about the art and science of leading organizations in today’s turbulent world, teeming with exciting opportunities and existential threats.—Shardul Phadnis, Associate Professor, Asia School of Business, Malaysia.