Strategic Thinking — Illustrated Study Guide

An illustrated, example-driven study guide for the Certified Strategic Thinker. Six modules build genuine capability from the ground up: the foundations of strategic thinking (strategy versus tactics and operations, systems thinking, mental models, first-principles and second-order thinking); the analytical toolkit (SWOT, PESTEL, Porter's Five Forces and VRIO); strategy formulation (vision and mission, competitive advantage, Blue Ocean value innovation, the Ansoff and BCG matrices); decision-making under uncertainty (scenario planning, cost-benefit analysis, decision trees, expected value and cognitive biases); strategy execution and alignment (strategy maps, the balanced scorecard, OKRs and cascading goals); and strategic leadership and foresight (futures thinking, adaptive innovation and communicating strategy). It closes with a hands-on lab in which you build a one-page strategy for a case organisation. Rich with Mermaid diagrams, decision matrices, worked mini-cases, exercises and self-checks.

Key facts

• Course price: $260 (one-time payment)
• Field: Soft Skills
• Prepares for: Certified Strategic Thinker
• 6 modules · 12 lessons · about 3 hours of lessons
• Self-paced, online, illustrated lessons

Course outline

1. Foundations of Strategic Thinking — What strategy is and is not: strategy versus tactics and operations, the three levels of strategy, systems thinking, mental models, and first-principles and second-order thinking.
   • Strategy, Tactics and the Levels of Strategy
   • Systems, Mental Models and Deeper Thinking
2. The Strategic Analysis Toolkit — The four workhorse analysis frameworks — SWOT and PESTEL for the environment, Porter's Five Forces for industry structure, and the VRIO resource-based view for internal advantage — and precisely…
   • Scanning the Environment: SWOT and PESTEL
   • Industry and Resources: Five Forces and VRIO
3. Formulating Strategy — From vision and mission to real choices: Porter's generic strategies and the sources of competitive advantage, Blue Ocean value innovation, and the Ansoff growth and BCG portfolio matrices.
   • Direction and Advantage: Vision, Generic Strategies and Blue Ocean
   • Growth and Portfolio: Ansoff and BCG
4. Deciding Under Uncertainty — Making good strategic choices when the future is unknown: scenario planning, cost-benefit analysis, decision trees and expected value, and guarding against the cognitive biases that derail judgement.
   • Scenarios and Cost-Benefit Analysis
   • Decision Trees, Expected Value and Cognitive Biases
5. Executing and Aligning Strategy — Closing the execution gap: translating strategy with strategy maps and the balanced scorecard, setting OKRs, cascading goals, choosing leading indicators, and prioritising initiatives.
   • Strategy Maps and the Balanced Scorecard
   • OKRs, Cascading Goals and Prioritising Initiatives
6. Strategic Leadership and Foresight — Leading strategy over time: futures thinking and the Three Horizons, disruptive and adaptive innovation, communicating strategy, and a hands-on lab building a one-page strategy for a case…
   • Foresight, Innovation and Communicating Strategy
   • Lab: Build a One-Page Strategy