Strategic thinking 

:
Manal
Good morning everyone and welcome to this presentation that’s given to you by bouacid aya and
myself. Today as you can see on the screen, we decided to talk about strategic thinking.

This presentation is structured as follows: we will start with an introduction, followed by a definition ,
we will next talk about the birth and the types of strategical thinking, finally we are going to discuss
the must have skills for a strategist, to finish with a conclusion.

Intro : without further ado let’s head to the introduction : the reason why we choose to speak about
strategical thinking is pretty obvious, but also, I feel like as strategy students we don’t talk about it
enough. Personally, whenever I heard the word strategy I used to think about chess (so now you
understand the choice of the theme hahah) because chess requires players to think several moves
ahead and make decisions based on the current state of the game and the potential future
outcomes. In chess, players must plan their moves in advance, anticipating potential responses from
their opponent and considering the long-term consequences just as the manager must go through
these steps. But now my vision has changed a little bit now I think of strategy in a way more
economical way.

Aya
Let’s see together what is Strategic thinking ?

Strategic thinking is a process of analyzing complex situations and developing innovative solutions
that can achieve long-term objectives. It involves anticipating potential obstacles, identifying
opportunities, and weighing options to create a plan of action.

It is an essential skill for individuals and organizations in today's rapidly changing and competitive
environment.

The process of strategic thinking involves a combination of critical thinking, creative thinking, and
analytical thinking. It requires the ability to gather and analyze data, identify patterns and trends, and
develop innovative ideas and solutions.

Manal
Good, let’s us now move to the birth of strategy as a concept: The concept of strategy has evolved
over time and has its roots in military history.

Sun tzu « one of the greatest military strategists” says in his book “The Art
of War.” which is considered to be the most influential books ever written
on strategy. 
“Those skilled in war subdue the enemy’s army without battle.
They conquer by strategy.”
Now as societies became more complex and organized, the concept of strategy began to extend
beyond the realm of military planning and into other areas, such as politics, sport and of course
business. In the business world, strategy became an essential tool for organizations to achieve their
goals and gain a competitive advantage.

Aya
There are several types of strategic thinkers, and each of them has their own unique perspective
towards strategic planning and decision making. Here are a few examples:

1. First, there is visionary Thinkers: they have a long-term perspective and are excellent at
envisioning future possibilities. They are able to see the big picture.

2. Second we have: analytical Thinkers: These strategic thinkers are highly analytical and data-
driven. They excel at gathering and analyzing information and they tend to be very detail-
oriented and precise in their approach.

3. Then there are creative Thinkers whom are highly imaginative and innovative. They are
skilled at generating new ideas and coming up with creative solutions to complex problems.
They are also able to think outside the box and approach challenges from different angles.

4. Operational Thinkers: These strategic thinkers are focused on execution and operational
efficiency.

5. Finally, Collaborative Thinkers are skilled at working with others to achieve common goals.
They are excellent at building relationships and teamwork. They also tend to be very good at
managing conflict and finding win-win solutions.

It's worth noting that many strategic thinkers possess a combination of these traits, and that there
are other types of strategic thinkers as well. However, these five examples provide a good starting
point for understanding the different approaches to strategic thinking.

Manal
Now let’s see what are the must have skills for a strategist. First there is the

Hard skills, which refer to specific technical abilities or knowledge that can be learned through
training, education, and practice. I don’t know if y’all remember what told us mister chenini during
our first session in the module strategy, he said that a good strategist no matter what is the field of
study he’s in, needs to be good in many areas, great in a few and the best at his main activity.

For the soft skills, I don’t think there’s a limited list to those but we can give some examples like :

Good Communication skills, Leadership, Emotional intelligence, Adaptability and so on;

For me the skill that characterizes a strategic thinker the best is anticipation

I think that it is important for a strategist to kind of forecast the future to be able to be prepared to
face the challenges and seize the opportunities It involves looking ahead and making predictions
about what might happen, based on past experiences, knowledge, or information.
 Aya
As a conclusion we can say that the concept of strategy continues to evolve and adapt to new
challenges and opportunities. It remains an essential component of success in many areas of life,
including business, sports, politics, and personal development.

Overall, strategic thinking is a key competency that helps individuals and organizations make
informed decisions, innovate, and achieve their long-term goals.