Saturday, March 20, 2021

The Pressing Need for Long-Term Thinking


When it comes to leadership, there is short-term thinking and long-term thinking. Short-term thinking is usually reactionary. You need to make decisions on any number of things that are presenting themselves before you in a “this day, this hour” dynamic.

Long-term thinking is processing next steps related to vision and strategy, opportunity and planning.

Obviously, both are needed. But what is most pivotal is maintaining long-term thinking in the midst of a season dominated, by necessity, with short-term thinking.

Like now.

The pandemic has called for any number of decisions to be made on the basis of short-term thinking. Meaning, decisions based on the pandemic being thrust on us with little notice, the ramifications for life as we had known it being extreme, causing every leader to scramble to make scores of immediate decisions. With changes in the pandemic itself, coupled with other significant cultural events erupting, leaders are suffering under a case of decision-making whiplash.

All the more reason for leaders to take time to assess the current state of whatever they lead and go beyond the short-term dynamics and think long term. Read More

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