Great strategy is aided by diversity of thought and attitude

If you're involved in developing strategy, you need to read 'Why Smart People Struggle with Strategy'. Personally I recognise a lot of this, including in myself, although I don't consider myself particularly smart. The key recommendation? "strategy should not be a monoculture ... of high-IQ analytical wizards. Great strategy is aided by diversity of thought and attitude." Why? Some excerpts: "The problem with smart people is that they are used to seeking and finding the right answer; unfortunately, in strategy there is no single right answer to find... The best strategists aren't intimidated by uncertainty... are willing to try a course of action knowing full well that it will have to be tweaked or even overhauled entirely. The essential qualities for this type of person are flexibility, imagination, and resilience... [whereas] smart people ... need both to feel right and to have that correctness be validated by others. When either or both fail to occur, smart people become defensive and rigidly so." Major implications here for internal strategy and innovation development in any large organisation, where poor internal communications generally prevent the official 'core strategists' from hearing from, let along working with, a diverse range of actors. - Why Smart People Struggle with Strategy - Roger Martin - Harvard Business Review