The Anatomy of Strategic Thinking
How to Train Your Mind to Respond instead of Reacting to Problems
Podcast | Video | Artifact
Disclaimer: The ideas in this article was written by a Human.
Dear Intelligent Reader,
Today I wish to share something with you that is beneficial, practical and even a little cool — something you can begin applying immediately.
When you are confronted with a problem or a challenge in life, what do you do first?
Do you spring into action?
Do you formulate a plan?
Or do you come up with a strategy?
Think about this for a few seconds and be honest with yourself.
There is a rule I recently discovered, and I decided to call it the 90/9/1 rule. The rule basically states that when a person is faced with a challenge, problem or dilemma in life:
90% of people take immediate action.
9% of people plan.
Only 1% of people strategize.
Now, the breakdown of the percentages is not what matters. What matters is the meaning behind them. This rule shows that most people react to problems and situations, while very few take the time to learn the best way to respond to them.
Think about the implications of this.
Ask yourself: Why is it that so much of the world’s wealth is controlled by such a small percentage of the population? Why is it that a few elites can stand on the backs of many? What separates those few from the rest?
History teaches us that many of its greatest leaders, generals and rulers understood this secret to long-term control and dominance. They knew that before you act, you must think. Before you plan, you must strategize.
Strategy is not just about fighting to win. It is about winning before the battle even begins. It is about learning to respond to a problem instead of simply reacting to it.
When I was young, I was not a huge fan of reading until my late teens. However, I remember falling in love with a book called The Art of War, written by Sun Tzu. He is known as a great Chinese general and strategist. In this book, he teaches strategy in warfare and gives a great deal of insight into the best ways to manage a military campaign. Many of those lessons can be applied to other areas of life. The version I had did not just include his writing and ideas, but also commentary from other generals on what he shared.
Back then, I did not really understand the difference between a strategy and a plan. I thought, like most people, that they were one and the same. In fact, if you look up the definition of strategy, most definitions describe it in a way similar to this:
“A plan of action or policy designed to achieve a major or overall aim.”
Now, this definition is not terrible. However, it does not fully account for the difference between the law of planning and the law of strategizing.
I have talked with many people about this subject, and I often find the same error. People use both words interchangeably, as if they mean the same thing.
I have discovered that they do not.
I believe that most people have never learned the difference between a strategy and a plan, and that small difference is what gives the people who do understand it an edge in life.
Think about this: Do you know the difference between the two?
That is why great leaders such as King Solomon, Sun Tzu, Napoleon Bonaparte, Julius Caesar and Mansa Musa stood above the rest. They knew the difference, and they used it in their affairs. They achieved great things because they learned how to respond to problems instead of simply reacting to them.
Truth be told, none of these leaders were flawless. But their accomplishments speak for themselves.
Today, I want to teach you some of the hidden knowledge many of us were never taught in school, on the job or at home. I want to share my findings so I can help you learn how to think more strategically. I want to give you a different perspective on what strategy is and what it is not.
What Is Strategy?
Strategy is about seeing the big picture. To strategize is to consider the end from the beginning. It is having a heavenly view and looking downward on the vast landscape. It is about visualizing the outcome before you ever make a move.
Here is the definition I like to use for strategy:
Strategy is the process of identifying the key factors of a problem, determining the most effective solution and clearly defining the desired outcome.
Strategies are always intentional and focus on why something is done. They are used to build systems, create policies and drive innovation. A strategy is always intentional, but it is often unseen by the ignorant eye. This means that if you do not know the intention behind what someone is doing, you will never fully understand their strategy.
A strategy is an intentional response to a situation. It is not merely how you do something, but why you do it. At the core of every strategy, the “why” exists.
Strategy was primarily thought of in relation to large-scale, long-term operations. An army would not dare move without a strategist because so many lives are at stake, and one bad decision can lead to many deaths.
Strategy is not the cart, nor is it the horse. It is the intent that directs the horse that pulls the cart.
So now that you have that information, what is the difference between a plan and a strategy?
A strategy and a plan work together. They are like partners, with one complementing the other.
A plan is a list of steps, with details about timing and resources, used to achieve an objective. A strategy defines the objective and the reason behind it. To put it in simpler terms, the key difference is that strategy focuses on why something is being done, while the plan focuses on what needs to be done. The action is how you go about doing it.
Here is a quick scenario:
Let’s say there are three different groups of people who are about to put together the same jigsaw puzzle.
Group one is made up of action takers.
Group two is made up of planners.
Group three is made up of strategists.
The action takers would probably dump all the pieces out, begin trying to piece things together, figure the puzzle out along the way and adjust through trial and error.
The planners would take all the pieces out, try to create a plan based on which pieces are similar in color or image, and work on the puzzle in different sections based on those similarities.
The strategists would want to envision the final state of the puzzle by using the completed image as a reference. They would look at the puzzle in its finished form, develop a system, create a sequence of goals and take action based on specific milestones.
For example, my strategy for completing a jigsaw puzzle is called “working from the outside to the inside.”
What is the intent?
Finding the outside corners and the perimeter is usually easier than finding the pieces that fit on the inside.
It begins like this:
Start by identifying the four corners.
Put together and align the edges first.
Then begin finding pieces that connect to the edges and work your way toward the middle of the puzzle.
Most people like to take more action and do less thinking.
Some people like to plan before taking action.
Very few people can envision the endgame and discover the best solution based on their desired outcome.
Do not get the wrong idea. Each group is important. Each level is important in its own right and is needed, but strategy should always happen first.
Strategy happens when you can see and understand the big picture. Plans take that big picture and break it into smaller sections. Actions take those sections and break them down into the detailed pieces that need to be done.
Strategy begins at a high level of perspective.
Planning happens at a mid-level perspective.
Action happens at the ground level, where all the details are executed.
In essence, strategy is used to help you sense and comprehend before action is ever taken. It helps you envision the accomplishment before the striving ever begins. It allows you to see the end in your mind before you see it with your physical eyes. This is why I believe it takes true faith to form strategies — because you must believe something can be done before it is done.
I want you to repeat these statements to yourself:
“To sense and comprehend after action is not worthy of being called comprehension.”
“To accomplish after striving is not worthy of being called accomplishment.”
“To know after seeing is not worthy of being called knowing.”
These sayings were written in the version of The Art of War that I own.
“To be able to do something before it exists, sense something before it becomes active, see something before it sprouts, are three abilities that develop interdependently. Then nothing is sensed but is comprehended, nothing is undertaken without response, nowhere does one go without benefit.”
This is strategy at its finest. Strategy helps you win before you even play the game. It helps you foresee danger and prepare for it.
The Three-Step Formula for Thinking More Strategically
Here is the formula I have discovered that will help you level up your strategic abilities while playing the game of life. I cannot break down every detail of the formula here, but I will give you the main parts.
Side note: If you are interested in learning the entire formula, it is available in my book, Six Laws of Strategy. You can also download the Three-Step Formula Worksheet on my website.
The formula is:
Sg = (Pb + Sol) / (P + V) + (G × X + MO × X)
There are three steps and six main keys within this formula. Let’s break down each element and discuss each step:
Sg = Strategy
Pb = Problem
Sol = Solution
P = Purpose
V = Vision
G = Goals
MO = Objectives, or modus operandi
X = Number
Step 1: Problem and Solution
In my copy of The Art of War, there is a tale in the introduction about a physician and his brothers.
“A lord of ancient China once asked his physician, a member of a family of healers, which of them was the most skilled in the art. The physician, whose reputation was such that his name became synonymous with medical science in China, replied, ‘My eldest brother sees the spirit of sickness and removes it before it takes shape, so his name does not get out of the house. My elder brother cures sickness when it is still extremely minute, so his name does not get out of the neighborhood. As for me, I puncture veins, prescribe potions, and massage skin, so from time to time my name gets out and is heard among the lords.’”
In this tale, notice how the youngest brother describes the difference between each of their skill sets.
The eldest brother removes sickness from the root before it becomes a visible problem. This means there is no awareness from the person that the sickness was even forming inside.
The elder brother cures the sickness while the problem is still small. This means the person may have little awareness of the sickness, but it is still easy to take care of.
The youngest brother provides services and products that help treat the sickness when the problem has become too big to ignore. This means the person is fully aware of the sickness because it has become a large enough problem that it can no longer be overlooked.
This story beautifully captures the essence of strategy in conflict.
A critic from the Ming Dynasty once wrote this about the story: “What is essential for leaders, generals, and ministers in running countries and governing armies is no more than this.”
In truth, I believe this story shows us that the less energy and fewer actions needed to solve a problem, the better.
A strategy is meant to solve a problem, and knowledge of the problem is key to discovering the solution.
This is why the first step of the formula is Pb, which stands for problem, and Sol, which stands for solution.
Problem + Solution = Opportunity
A problem really is not a problem if you have a solution. With the right solution, it becomes an opportunity.
The first step to discovering a winning strategy is identifying and understanding the problem, then finding the right solution.
The first thing you need to do is research the problem. You must identify both the contributing factors and the determining factor. After you understand the root cause of the problem, you can use an ideation technique to come up with the right idea to solve it.
Step 2: Purpose and Vision
All strategies must have a clearly defined purpose and a vision for that purpose. There is no strategy without purpose. In truth, there is nothing without purpose. If you study creation, you will discover that everything created has a purpose attached to it.
Everything.
Purpose is the intended outcome the strategy is designed to bring about. Vision is the detailed description of what the fulfilled purpose looks like in the future.
Do you recall the “I Have a Dream” speech by Martin Luther King Jr.? In that speech, he discussed his vision in a detailed way. He described what the purpose of equality looked like to him in the future. Even though he did not live to see his dream fully realized, he was still able to describe the end goal of the civil rights movement in great detail.
The second step to discovering a winning strategy is identifying and understanding the purpose of the strategy and the vision for the fulfillment of that purpose.
Purpose is paramount in all strategies, and there is no purpose without vision.
Step 3: Goals and Objectives
Now let’s take a closer look at the last step of the formula. In this step, both goals and objectives are plural because almost all strategies have more than one goal and more than one objective. Goals and objectives are closely related, but they are not the same.
A goal is a desired target — an outcome you intend to reach even though you may not be there yet. Setting goals is like placing markers on a map.
They create a clear route, give meaning to every step, show how far you have traveled and reveal how close you are to the final outcome, which is the purpose of the strategy.
An objective is a specific action or measurable step that must be performed in order to reach a goal.
To put it another way, a goal is the desired target. The objectives are the underlying actions needed to hit it. The objective determines the mode of operation, or modus operandi, needed to accomplish a specific goal.
The third step to discovering a winning strategy is determining the goals and listing the objectives under each goal for the fulfillment of the overall strategy.
Please remember that this is a sequence of events, and the order of operation matters. You always want to start like this:
Problem → Solution → Purpose → Vision → Goals → Objectives
I know this can be a lot to take in, especially if you are not used to thinking this way. However, I can guarantee that if you practice this formula, you will greatly increase your ability to think strategically about the problems in your life. You can use it to do a multitude of things.
Once again, if you are interested in learning and practicing the entire formula, it is available in my book, Six Laws of Strategy.
And so, dear reader, the time has come for us to depart for now. I thank you for taking time out of your day to read this article. I hope you were able to grasp these valuable gems and add them to your treasury of knowledge. Until next time, have a blessed day.
Yours truly,
The Modern Strategos
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