Imposing our will on reality has long been considered the hallmark of the strategic genius. But in today’s complex and uncertain business environments, this is impossible for almost every leader. That’s why so many choose to focus on the things they can control instead.
Launching new initiatives, adopting the latest technologies and making detailed plans feels concrete and measurable. But value is created outside the organisation by satisfying the needs of paying users. And users don’t care what we do — they only care about what we can do for them.
Seeking the Truth of the Current Situation
Some leaders are unwilling to accept the world the way it is. They shrink it to their level of understanding — so they can deal with it the way they wished it was. Projecting data from the past onto the future they make comforting predictions and plans that feel water-tight. But this is an illusion of certainty and control.
Other leaders raise their awareness of what’s really happening around them. They tap into collective knowledge to see the world through the eyes of others — inviting them to challenge their assumptions and point out what’s missing or wrong, so they learn. It’s uncomfortable — but it grounds them in reality.
Collective knowledge is the greatest untapped resource in organisations, as it’s always greater than the knowledge of any individual within it. By seeing the world through multiple perspectives we can draw down on our natural human abilities — honed over millennia — for navigating uncertain situations.
Turning Theories into Action
Tapping into the combined industry knowledge and experience of our talent — often measurable in centuries — we can identify emerging threats sooner and discover leverage points we can exploit to shape conditions to our advantage.
Awareness of our surroundings — what’s really happening and why — brings harmony. The future may remain a foreign land, wrapped in the uncertainty of the unknown — as much to our rivals as it is to us. But now we have a shared perspective and ideas about what we can do next.
Some ideas will need to be tested — using data to verify our natural logic, rather than replace it. Others can be launched in live situations — to gather the rich, thick data from interactions with users from which we learn and adjust. All the while, engaging with how the world really is — not just the way we wished it was.
Quick Test
Ask yourself:
If you were forced to react you may be relying on the wrong sort of intelligence for decision-making.
What Next?
Developing situational awareness with the strategist’s most powerful tool — a map.
To follow this series join the Telegram channel t.me/wardleymapping
Or subscribe to the blog https://powermaps.net/blog
If you found this post useful consider sharing it with others.
And if you’d like to think and act strategically in your organisation explore more here: https://powermaps.net
Launching new initiatives, adopting the latest technologies and making detailed plans feels concrete and measurable. But value is created outside the organisation by satisfying the needs of paying users. And users don’t care what we do — they only care about what we can do for them.
Seeking the Truth of the Current Situation
Some leaders are unwilling to accept the world the way it is. They shrink it to their level of understanding — so they can deal with it the way they wished it was. Projecting data from the past onto the future they make comforting predictions and plans that feel water-tight. But this is an illusion of certainty and control.
Other leaders raise their awareness of what’s really happening around them. They tap into collective knowledge to see the world through the eyes of others — inviting them to challenge their assumptions and point out what’s missing or wrong, so they learn. It’s uncomfortable — but it grounds them in reality.
Collective knowledge is the greatest untapped resource in organisations, as it’s always greater than the knowledge of any individual within it. By seeing the world through multiple perspectives we can draw down on our natural human abilities — honed over millennia — for navigating uncertain situations.
Turning Theories into Action
Tapping into the combined industry knowledge and experience of our talent — often measurable in centuries — we can identify emerging threats sooner and discover leverage points we can exploit to shape conditions to our advantage.
Awareness of our surroundings — what’s really happening and why — brings harmony. The future may remain a foreign land, wrapped in the uncertainty of the unknown — as much to our rivals as it is to us. But now we have a shared perspective and ideas about what we can do next.
Some ideas will need to be tested — using data to verify our natural logic, rather than replace it. Others can be launched in live situations — to gather the rich, thick data from interactions with users from which we learn and adjust. All the while, engaging with how the world really is — not just the way we wished it was.
Quick Test
Ask yourself:
- In the last 12 months, did anything surprise you in your market?
- Did you see this early enough and respond in time, or were you forced to react too late?
If you were forced to react you may be relying on the wrong sort of intelligence for decision-making.
What Next?
Developing situational awareness with the strategist’s most powerful tool — a map.
To follow this series join the Telegram channel t.me/wardleymapping
Or subscribe to the blog https://powermaps.net/blog
If you found this post useful consider sharing it with others.
And if you’d like to think and act strategically in your organisation explore more here: https://powermaps.net
