New ideas are often presented in PowerPoint but, as creating great slides takes time, presenters can get defensive if challenged. When a leader is presenting people are even more reluctant to challenge them, meaning opportunities for critical learning are missed. This increases the chances of failure, with leaders blaming staff for poor execution and staff blaming leaders for flawed ideas.

Maps solve this problem as they can be created quickly and shared easily with others, who can safely point out what’s unclear, missing or wrong. This is how valuable new knowledge is created and breakthrough insights made. This is the foundation of Situational Awareness — the most essential skill leaders need today.