you ever wondered how the most successful people get to the top how do they juggle so many moving Parts how do their brains seem to operate on a completely different level it could feel like they're playing 4D chess while you're stuck playing Tic-Tac-Toe well here's the secret the most successful people aren't born with superhuman abilities they've simply mastered a set of six core skills that make them strategic powerhouses and guess what you can Master them too these six skills first introduced by leadership expert Michael Watkins in his book The Six disciplines of strategic thinking aren't
just for CEOs or high-powered Executives they're practical actionable and can help anyone think smarter and make better decisions by the end of this video you'll have a clear understanding of these skills and how to start applying them to your own life so what are we waiting for let's dive in first up pattern recognition this is your ability to spot connections and Trends in the chaos around you they of it like being the detective in your own life whether you're Sherlock Holmes solving a crime or figuring out if your dog is eating one of your favorite
socks patterns are everywhere identifying and recognizing them can help you get ahead let's start with something simple maybe you notice that every time you skip your workout you feel sluggish the next day that's a pattern or maybe you realize you're more productive when you work in the morning rather than at night another pattern the trick is to pay attention connect the dots and then use the data you gather to build a routine in life that works for you journaling or using habit trackers can help you get better at paying attention to the Small Things patterns
aren't just in our everyday lives they often materialize in business technology culture and the world around us one example of an expert at pattern recognition was Steve Jobs he noticed early on the direction technology was taking smaller devices better interfaces and the fast rise of digital media this is how the iPod was born later the iPhone Apple is now one of the biggest leaders in Tech so keep your eyes open cuz the patterns you spot could lead to the next big breakthrough next we have systems analysis this is the ability to see how all the
moving parts fit together think of it like assembling a new piece of flat pack Furniture except maybe without the stress of all those different screws and the missing Table leg at the end one expert in this type of thinking was Henry Ford founder of the Ford motor company and Pioneer of affordable Motor Vehicles in the early 20th century Ford introduced the assembly line a way to build cars that would completely change the game but when he introduced this concept he didn't just think about building cars he thought about how each step in the process could
be optimized to save time and money the result cars became more affordable for the average person revolutionizing transportation in America now let's think smaller and apply systems analysis to your morning routine if you wake up 15 minutes earlier how does that affect the rest of your day does it give you time to eat breakfast or prepare better for work systems analysis is about understanding the Ripple effects of your actions no matter how small once you see the big picture you can make smarter choices to make changes to the system so why not try overhauling the
way you do things and might just revolutionize yourself number three mental agility mental agility is like being a gymnast but for your brain it's about staying flexible and adapting when things don't go as planned when you get thrown a curveball how do you react do you panic sulk and give up or do you roll up your sleeves and try again to practice being more flexible and adaptable try taking a different route to work or say yes to something outside of your comfort zone the more you expose yourself to new experiences the more agile your mind
becomes if you found yourself resonating with anything we've discussed so far our sponsor betterhelp is here to support you betterhelp is the world's largest therapy service and it's 100% online you can message your therapist at any time and schedule live sessions when it's convenient for you if your therapist isn't the right fit for any reason you can switch to a new therapist at no additional charge with better help you get the same professional and quality you'd expect from in-office therapy but with a therapist who's custom picked for you with more scheduling flexibility and at a
more affordable price betterhelp has a special offer today where you'll get 10% off your first month just go to better help.com slimpro pill number four structured problem solving structured problem solving is about breaking big scary problems into smaller manageable chunks let's say you're always broke the week leading up to Payday has always got you counting pennies instead of panicking and calling Mom break down the problem step one track your spending step two identify any unnecessary expenses step three create a budget plan to help solve the issue when you tackle any problem step by step it
becomes a lot less overwhelming famous inventor Thomas Edison was the king of problem solving when he invented the light bulb he famously said I've not failed I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work his methodical and resilient approach eventually led to one of the most important inventions in history number five visioning visioning also known as visualization is all about imagining a better future it's like dream and big but with a clear plan to get there one of the easiest ways to practice visioning is by visualizing your goals and aspirations through a vision board or Journal
be specific don't just say I want to be successful say I want to start my own business within 2 years then reverse engineer the steps to make it happen need more inspiration one person who's mastered visioning is Oprah Winfrey Oprah grew up in poverty and envisioned a future where she could make a difference through hard work and a Clear Vision she became one of the most influential people in the world so why not take a page from Oprah's Book what's your vision dream big write it down and start taking action today last but not least
be politically Savvy but what does that mean it's about understanding people and navigating social dynamics in ways that'll help you in everyday life this could mean being a better listener or paying attention to unspoken rules in your workplace for example if your boss is always grumpy before they morning coffee wait until after they've had their caffeine to pitch your big idea a great example of being politically Savvy comes from the ancient Chinese strategist sunzu in his famous work The Art of War he believed that success didn't come from military strength but from knowing when to
form alliances when to retreat and how to outmaneuver opponents through strategic thinking and diplomacy Sun's wisdom shows that understanding the people around you and the environment you're in can often be more important than power alone so there we have it the six core skills of strategic thinking pattern recognition systems analysis mental agility structured problem solving visioning and being politically Savvy they might sound daunting but they're skills that anyone can develop start small and write down ways that you can practice these skills in your life right now put them into practice and watch how your life
starts to tr transform before your eyes if you found this video helpful hit that like button or share it with a friend got an interesting tip or skill you swear by drop it in the comments below and as ever stay tuned
