MAY 2014 / NO. 1

TAGS: STRATEGIC INTELLIGENCE

The role of strategic intelligence

“If intelligence is not driven externally, one is not doing intelligence”

Courage is necessary to make change possible. And intellectual courage is necessary to challenge conventional wisdom and the imagination of new possibilities. Leadership must refuse to accept limits or stop at industry boundaries. Lack of courage prevents positive change at all levels. Look at ineffective politicians who shift positions based on polling data, not on their convictions. Managers equivocate in response to new initiatives, observe struggles without support and without resources. When this works, they claim success, if it doesn’t they say “I told you so”. Individual decisions to hedge bets, hoard information or go passive reinforce the decline of businesses. This behavior is ‘the timidity of mediocrity’. However, strategic intelligence is driven by practice, enthusiasm, motivation, inspiration and colleagueship to support courage. Challenging assumptions, and the confirmation bias, and executing the right analyses over and beyond our anchors, groupthink and risk mitigation, contribute strongly to being able to be ahead of the eye of the storm.

“Strategic intelligence must be ‘on a par’ with other functions that report to the board”

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