Explore Strategic Thinking with our 8-Hour Virtual Learning Lab

Who this Lab is for: Emerging leaders

High-Potential Leaders with 8-12 years professional work experience who participate in strategy meetings and are curious, open-minded, and learning obsessed.

The emphasis of this lab will be on the learning aspect of strategic thinking — we will not be discussing how to formulate a strategy plan as there are already sufficient resources on this topic.

Lab Length: 8 hours over 4 days

An intensive, highly-engaging seminar format, we’ll Zoom Monday-Thursday for 2 hours each day. 11am-1pm (EST).

• Interactive discussions
• Questions and Answers
• Application to your real work strategy issue
• Implications of content to your current strategy role
• 1-on-1 private/individual call

This learning lab is based on the research-based book: Learning to Think Strategically, 4th ed. (2020).

Content of Lab: Learning to think strategically… it’s not what you think!

In the highly acclaimed research-based book, “Learning to Think Strategically,” 4th ed. (2020), Dr. Julia Sloan notes that the underlying cognitive cluster that supports strategic thinking is distinctively different from the clusters that supports strategic planning. Yet, the terms are often used interchangeably, without differentiation. This leads to confusion, diminishes participation in the strategy making process, and ultimately impedes the ability to generate innovative strategy.

Being strategically competitive in today’s chaotic and complex global environment requires a very different way of looking at how we approach strategic thinking. Leaders who are tasked with strategic responsibility must be agile and adaptive strategic thinkers; but rarely are they taught how to think strategically. Given that strategy is a key leadership mandate, Julia strips away the confusing jargon and challenges the traditional approach to strategy by emphasizing how successful strategists learn to think strategically. You’ll be challenged to identify how you can contribute more effectively to your business strategy.

This learning lab provides a thorough grounding in what strategic thinking is and its value to your company.

Julia Sloan

About Your Instructor

Dr. Sloan is a leading authority on the cognitive aspect of strategic thinking and is widely recognized for her pioneering work on the application of complex cognitive theory to everyday strategic thinking practice in global business and public policy. Her strategic thinking work draws upon more than two decades of her own expatriate corporate experience in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and North America, working on strategy to align the business agenda with prevailing economic, cultural and social issues.

She is the author of the definitive book, Learning to Think Strategically, and has also written numerous privately commissioned articles and white papers on the topic of strategic thinking for corporations, policy institutes and think tanks.

Julia teaches strategic thinking at Columbia University and has lectured at some of the premier academic institutions including: The Brookings Institute, Harvard University, MIT (US); Beijing University, Central University of Finance and Economics (China); Keio University, Tokyo University (Japan); India Institute of Management (India King Saud University, Institute for Public Administration (Saudi Arabia); UN Staff College and Logistics Base (Italy). Julia was also named as part of the Distinguished Lecturer Series at the Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government in Dubai. She facilitates seminars on learning strategic thinking as part of corporate global leadership and strategy development initiatives.

Awarded a Researcher in Residence fellowship for 2016-2017 for the study of the cognitive and conceptual role of metaphor on the development of strategic thinking, Julia has been the recipient of the Faculty Excellence Award, Ahead-of-the-Curve Teaching Award, Outstanding Teaching Award, and the Innovative Influencer Award. She has served on several college and non-profit advisory boards.

A resident of New York City, Julia’s educational background includes a doctorate from Columbia University; master’s studies at Yale University and University of Alaska; and undergraduate studies from Kent State University.