New ideas are often presented in PowerPoint, but great slides take time to craft and presenters tend to get defensive when challenged. The reluctance to challenge new ideas, especially if leaders are presenting, results in missed opportunities for critical learning and increases the chances of failure. When things go wrong, staff blame leaders for flawed ideas, while leaders blame staff for weak execution.

Maps provide a solution. They can be created quickly and shared easily with others, who can safely point out what’s unclear, missing or potentially wrong. This generates deeper knowledge about the current situation and reveals breakthrough insights about future changes. This is the Art of Situational Awareness — the most essential skill all leaders need in today’s volatile and changing world.