Storm Rider: Becoming a Strategic Thinker

by Rich Horwath

"Strategic thinking is not the lighthouse in a storm. It’s the storm—dynamic, dangerous and all-powerful." Strategic thinking can catapult you from the safe, mundane and fatal world of doing the same things in the same manner as your competition into the rewarding role of a Storm Rider. For the first time, the abstract concept of strategy has been chiseled away to reveal the tangible skill sets of strategic thinking. The result is a clearly defined roadmap to becoming a more effective strategic thinker. Becoming a great strategist will enable you to distance your company from the competition and help you stand out from your colleagues. In this practical and content-rich guide to becoming a more effective strategic thinker, Rich Horwath identifies the five primary skill sets of strategic
1. Discovering purpose
2. Creating differentiation
3. Decision making
4. Problem solving
5. Sculpting strategy Mastering these skill sets will enable executives at all levels
-create powerful mission, vision and value statements to unleash and channel the energy of the organization;
-identify and effectively utilize differentiation to separate your company, product or service from the competition;
-make better and more consistent decisions;
-innovatively solve problems and overcome obstacles;
-develop breakthrough strategy using a three-step process that results in a concise two-page blueprint for your business. Horwath shares his innovative concepts and tools, including the Strategy ProfileSM, Strategy RecipeSM, StrategySphere System®, and StrategyPrint®. These tools and a host of others will enable you to significantly increase your ability to develop and leverage strategy to grow your business. Anyone seeking to reach their full potential as a business strategist will greatly benefit from the book’s insights.

141 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Rich Horwath is the CEO of the Strategic Thinking Institute, and has helped more than 100,000 managers around the world develop their strategic thinking skills. He is the author of seven books, including StrategyMan vs. The Anti-Strategy Squad: Using Strategic Thinking to Defeat Bad Strategy and Save Your Plan. He is a former Chief Strategy Officer and professor of strategy at the graduate level, and has spoken to managers at companies such as Google, Intel, FedEx, Bank of America, and L’Oreal.