A great strategy, for many people, is like a sudden flash of an idea – like Archimedes in his bath or Newton under the apple tree. However, from three decades of experience, I can tell that the truth is more prosaic than it looks.

Making a great strategy is about ‘training the mind’. It’s a routine and a habit that you must develop. This is the reason several of my colleagues never stopped learning, right from leaving their nest to reaching their prime years. A few are even still sitting for professional business certification exams.

Great strategists are made out of habit.

Every day they add something new to their person.

I write this piece for those starting out in the strategic domain.

Learn these five crucial lessons and imbibe these skills to take your first steps toward thinking like a strategist, and from there, as a futurist.

Lesson #1 - Scores of books aren’t enough, develop cognition.

Yes, there are many books, people, institutions, and gurus you can learn from. But the bottom line will always be you. What you are and how you think.

Strategizing must become your creed.

Reading books and attending institutions is fine. But what matters more is – what you are doing with it.

Every person absorbs everyday events and surroundings differently. How is your cognition perceiving the situation and reality?

One hack, while processing important events or any material, follow the process of:

• Gathering the inputs,
• Analyzing them and their implications,
• Exploring their future,
• Identifying the action that should be taken, and
• Finally, taking action.

You can learn and train yourself. Read books, newspapers, keep in touch with important events, enroll in a strategy certification like ABSPTM and SBSPTM offered by The Strategy Institute to understand textbook cases and knowledge, and learn what leaders in the discipline say.

The first paper I read during the preparation of my professional certification exam has stuck with me to date. It said that:

‘Foresight’ is a skill born of routine, and there is no other way around it.

Lesson #2 - Discover your unique approach

Every strategist develops her own process and techniques over the years. But of course, they begin with the common textbook steps to strategic thinking.

Developing a strategy mindset means eventually discovering ‘your’ approach to thinking and analyzing.

A strategy certification can give you a good push and base knowledge you will need to draw upon experiences, and challenges of businesses and leadership icons in the world.

Go from generic to specific.

What basic toolkit do you need to discover your unique approach?

• Market Analysis
• Desktop Research
• Scenario Planning
• Experience Reviews

From there, add on. Communicate with different types of people and inculcate the habit of embracing change to discover the business strategist in you.  

Lesson #3 - Earn the Skills in pinpointing drivers.

Great strategists become not by giving the right answers, but by asking the right questions.

What market should you target? Who is your audience?

Very important question – Is a new idea commercially viable? You may come across several new ideas. Strategists must be able to command if something will work or not.

A thorough understanding of business, market, and people are important to reach this stage. Professional business certifications can improve your practical understanding of creating commercial returns.

Lesson #4 – Be curious at heart, and strong in mind.

Great strategists are problem-solvers. And a huge reason for that is their curiosity at heart.

While most people are naturally curious, seasoned and legacy strategists also train themselves to remain curious and get better at it.

This is the reason behind their vast understanding. And the reason why they are able to catch the right ideas in time.

Being open to new experiences will help you stay curious for life.

You can develop curiosity from the things you know, and you may not know, from people you like or don’t like, and delving into the ‘new’. That’s the heart of a strategist and this is also what makes her mindset strong and reliable.

Lesson #5 – Master the art of macro and micro visualization.

This follows from the previous skill, but it’s important enough to be dedicated to a place of its own.

Strategists predict the future that’s uncertain and intangible, based on which they develop their overarching goals. This augments the importance of visualization for them.

Visualization is an essential skill for beginners as well as experienced strategists. I tell this by experience that it will increase the value and quality of your proposal.

You can use whiteboarding, but more important than any tool is exposure. For instance, if you were to visualize how life on Mars would look like you need to have an acquaintance with the space world – not just the technicalities, but also the aesthetics.

Strategy certifications can help you build this competency by providing the right kind of exposure and adding to your knowledge universe. 

As is said, great strategists can see, hear, and even smell the future.

Like any skill and knowledge, learn it, and then keep refining it. Advanced certifying bodies and institutions in business strategic thinking can be your aid in this journey. Nurture the strategist in you.