New Column: Strategic Thinking Is the Ability to See the World Through Many Eyes

“The cause is XX.”

“I think the solution is YY.”

When reviewing the work of junior consultants, I often hear proposals like these.

Of course, they have put a great deal of thought into reaching their conclusions. Yet I often find myself asking, “Is that really the case?”

When I explore their reasoning more deeply, I usually find that the issue is not a lack of thinking ability. Rather, it is that they are seeing the situation from too narrow a perspective.

We all see the world from where we stand.

Salespeople focus on revenue.

Developers focus on quality.

A CEO looks at the company as a whole.

Even when looking at the same situation, each person sees a very different picture.

In other words, we may think we are looking at the “facts,” but in reality, we are interpreting them through the lens of our own position.

One Decision, Many Perspectives

The same is true in consulting.

Suppose a company is considering closing a factory.

Looking at the numbers alone, it may seem like a rational decision.

But how would the factory manager or the employees working there see it?

Sales may be concerned about the impact on customers. HR may need to consider employee transfers and how to support those who leave the company.

The local community may be concerned about the impact on employment, while shareholders may expect improved profitability.

Global headquarters may evaluate the decision from the perspective of the company’s overall production strategy.

A single decision can involve this many different perspectives, each with its own logic and priorities.

That is why good strategy is not about finding one correct answer.

It is about understanding what the situation looks like from different positions and finding the best possible way forward among them.

Strategic Thinking Requires Imagination

Does developing such a broad perspective require years of experience?

Experience is certainly important.

But experience alone is not enough.

Some highly experienced people still see issues only through the lens of their own area of expertise.

At the same time, some younger professionals are remarkably good at thinking from many different perspectives.

What makes the difference?

I believe it is imagination.

More precisely, it is the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes.

What would I think if I were the CEO?

What would I fear if I were working on the front line?

What would I expect if I were the customer?

How would a competitor respond?

How would an investor evaluate this decision?

By repeatedly asking questions like these, a problem that once appeared flat begins to take on depth and dimension.

Think from Ten Different Positions

I sometimes give junior consultants a simple exercise.

For a single issue, I ask them to think from the perspectives of at least ten different people or stakeholders.

For example, when considering a digital transformation initiative:

1. CEO

2. CFO

3. CIO

4. Frontline employee

5. Senior employee

6. Junior employee

7. Customer

8. Business partner

9. Shareholder

10. Labor union

For each perspective, I ask them to write down:

“What do they expect?”

“What are they afraid of?”

“What do they stand to lose?”

Something interesting happens when they do this.

They begin to realize that what initially seemed like the “only solution” is actually just one option among many.

And this is an exercise that anyone can begin, regardless of how many years of experience they have.

Experiencing Another Person’s Perspective

There is an even more powerful way to develop this ability to put yourself in someone else’s position.

That is what we are working on through immersive training.

This is more than simple role-playing.

Participants fully step into a position or role that is different from their own and make decisions as that person.

Make a decision as the CEO.

Negotiate with headquarters as the head of an overseas office.

Receive a proposal as a customer.

Speak up to a manager as a team member.

In those moments, people experience another person’s perspective not simply as knowledge, but with the emotions that come with that position.

This creates insights that cannot be gained simply by reading documents or studying a case.

And through these experiences, their strategic perspective begins to expand.

The Ability to See More Leads to Better Answers

What consultants need is not the ability to always have the right answer.

They need the ability to stand in many different positions, see the situation through many different eyes, and then work toward the best possible answer.

I believe strategy is determined not by how much knowledge we possess, but by how many different people we are capable of becoming, even if only in our imagination.

And this is not an innate talent.

By imagining, engaging in dialogue, and sometimes actually stepping into someone else’s role, anyone can develop this ability through practice.