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Strategic Thinking: A Complete Guide for Managers

Name: Strategic Thinking: A Complete Guide for Managers
Rating: 5.0 (10 reviews)

Learn Strategic Thinking, Strategic Analysis Tools, Strategy Execution, Leadership, Managing Resistance, Build Buy-in

Highest Rated

Created byProf John Martey FCG

Last updated 3/2026

English

What you'll learn

The objective of this course is to develop your ability to think strategically, analyse complex situations, anticipate future challenges, and make decisions
The course aims to foster a mindset that integrates creativity, analytical reasoning, and strategic insight in addressing business and organisational issues.
By the end of this course, you will be able to understand the principles of strategic thinking and differentiate it from tactical or operational thinking.
Analyse internal and external environments using strategic frameworks and tools (e.g., SWOT, PESTEL, Porter’s Five Forces).
Identify and evaluate strategic opportunities that align with organisational goals and capabilities.
Apply strategic decision-making models to real-world business challenges.
Communicate and implement strategic ideas effectively across teams and organisational levels.

Course content

8 sections • 29 lectures • 2h 3m total length

Unit 1 Introduction2:13
Unit 1 Session 1 What is Strategic Thinking9:25
Unit 1 Session 2 The Importance of Strategic Thinking5:56
Unit 1 Session 3 Strategic Vs Tactical and Operational Thinking7:45
Unit 1 Session 4 The Role of Vision Mission and Values7:03
Exercise 1.1
Exercise 1.2
Exercise 1.3
Exercise 1.4

Unit 2 Introduction2:50
Explore environmental scanning, competition analysis, and Porter's five forces to understand your remote environment, assess competitor moves, and gauge market attractiveness for strategic thinking in management.
Unit 2 Session 1 Environmental Scanning8:16
Explore how environmental scanning, a strategic thinking tool, helps managers understand the remote environment and identify opportunities and threats through pestle factors—political, economic, socioecological, technological, environmental, and legal.
Unit 2 Session 2 Analysis of Competition5:26
Analyze competition through a systematic and ethical competitive intelligence program to identify competitors' moves and industry trends. Use gathered information to improve decision making, revenues, and cost efficiency.
Unit 2 Session 3 Using Porter's Five Forces Model6:40
Analyze industry dynamics using Porter's five forces to assess market attractiveness and profitability, examining threats of new entrants, supplier power, buyer power, substitutes, and rivalry, guided by forecasting and assumptions.
Exercise 2.1
Exercise 2.2
Exercise 2.3

Unit 3 Introduction4:48
Explore internal analysis, swot analysis, and value chain analysis to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, and benchmark against rivals to gain competitive advantage.
Unit 3 Session 1 Internal Analysis9:06
Conduct an internal analysis by evaluating functional areas and internal resources to identify strengths and weaknesses. Use the resource-based view to leverage resources for sustainable competitive advantage.
Unit 3 Session 2 SWOT Analysis5:27
Identify and evaluate your company's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats using a systematic SWOT analysis, and design a strong strategy by leveraging strengths and opportunities while addressing weaknesses and threats.
Unit 3 Session 3 Application of Value Chain Analysis3:50
Compare your value chain with rivals using benchmarking to identify strengths and weaknesses, guided by Porter's view of total revenues minus costs from development to customer.
Assignment Case Study Sinking Limited

Unit 4 Introduction1:59
Explore strategy formulation and decision making while setting strategic goals, using scenario planning, and planning for contingency with risk analysis.
Unit 4 Session 1 Setting Strategic Goals and Priorities8:26
Set strategic goals and priorities to guide success by using smart goals, analyzing the environment with SWOT and industry trends, aligning with mission and vision, and monitoring progress with KPIs.
Unit 4 Session 2 Scenario Planning3:56
Explore scenario planning for managers: build hypothetical event sequences and test strategic choices under uncertainty. Sharpen mental models with a skilled team to chart future environments.
Unit 4 Session 3 Risk Analysis and Planning for Contingency5:55
Analyze and assess risk, identify and prioritize principal risks, including reputation, competition, financial, liquidity, and strategic risks, and plan contingencies to minimize disruptions and safeguard business continuity under board oversight.

Requirements

No special requirement needed
The course is open to all levels of managers, leaders and supervisors

Description

Course Title: Strategic Thinking

Course Objective

· The primary objective of this course is to develop your ability to think strategically, analyse complex situations, anticipate future challenges, and make decisions that create long-term value for your organisation.

· The course aims to foster a mindset that integrates creativity, analytical reasoning, and strategic insight in addressing business and organisational issues.

Course Outcome

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Understand the principles of strategic thinking and differentiate it from tactical or operational thinking.

• Analyse internal and external environments using strategic frameworks and tools (e.g., SWOT, PESTEL, Porter’s Five Forces).

• Identify and evaluate strategic opportunities that align with organisational goals and capabilities.

• Apply strategic decision-making models to real-world business challenges.

• Communicate and implement strategic ideas effectively across teams and organisational levels.

What You Will Cover

1. Definition and Importance of Strategic Thinking

2. Strategic Vs. Operational and Tactical Thinking

3. The Role of Vision Mission and Values

4. Environmental Scanning

5. PESTEL and Porter’s Five Forces

6. Identifying Competitive Advantages and Key Success Factors

7. Internal Analysis

8. SWOT Analysis in Strategic Decision-Making

9. Application of Value Chain Analysis

10. Setting Strategic Goals and Priorities

11. Scenario Planning and Strategic Choices

12. Risk Analysis and Contingency Planning

13. How to set Strategic Objectives as Prime and

Subsidiary Objectives

14. Using Financial Objectives as Prime and Subsidiary

Objectives

15. Translating Strategy into Action

16. Aligning People Structure and Resources

17. Leadership Behaviours That Drive Strategic Success

18. Communicating Strategy Across the Organisation

19. Managing Resistance and Building Buy-In

20. Measuring and Evaluating Strategic Outcomes

Who this course is for:

Managers, Aspiring Managers, Leaders, Aspiring Leaders
Strategic Planners, Line Managers, Business Analysyts

Strategic Thinking: A Complete Guide for Managers

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

UNIT 1 STRATEGIC THINKING AND ITS IMPORTANCE5 lectures • 32min

UNIT 2 STRATEGIC ANALYSIS TOOLS4 lectures • 23min

UNIT 3 INTERNAL AND SWOT ANALYSIS IN STRATEGIC THINKING4 lectures • 23min

UNIT 4 STRATEGY FORMULATION AND DECISION MAKING4 lectures • 20min

UNIT 5 SETTING STRATEGIC AND FINANCIAL OBJECTIVES3 lectures • 7min

UNIT 6 STRATEGY EXECUTION AND LEADERSHIP4 lectures • 8min

UNIT 7 STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION AND CHANGE MANAGEMENT4 lectures • 9min

WELL DONE1 lecture • 1min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: