Become a great strategic thinker | Ian Bremmer

Strategic Thinking

Ian Bremmer describes strategic thinking as “thinking about thinking”: looking beyond daily headlines to understand long-term patterns and how forces at the country, company, and individual levels shape leaders’ choices.

Strategies for Becoming a Stronger Strategic Thinker

• Look for patterns and broader forces rather than reacting to each headline in isolation.
• Examine your worldview. Ask what shaped it, which factors you prioritize, and what evidence might change it.
• Revisit your assumptions regularly. Even a reasonable analysis can become outdated as the world changes.
• Seek out different perspectives, including views that make you uncomfortable. Try to understand the experiences behind them instead of treating disagreement as proof that someone is wrong.
• Get comfortable admitting mistakes and updating your thinking. Bremmer compares engaging with unfamiliar viewpoints to building a habit at the gym: it takes practice.
• Take the long view. Bremmer cites Nelson Mandela as a strategic thinker who set aside personal vendettas and immediate justice to help secure his country’s future.

Presenter and Source

Ian Bremmer; closing narration by Big Think.