Embrace the strategic thinking mindset

- We spend a lot of our lives being told what to do. … You're not going to do very well in grade school … if you're constantly questioning the teacher and asking, … "Why are we doing it this way? … Wouldn't be easier to do it this other way?" … So it can be hard to rewire ourselves once we graduate … and enter the work world. … In fact, for quite a while, it doesn't even seem necessary. … What you're praised for and promoted for … in the early days is being able to master tasks quickly … and execute what you're told to do. … Write that report according to the standard format? … Check. … Design that PowerPoint, process that customer claim, … get that mailing out the door? … Check, check, check. … But your success at doing what you're told … is actually misleading. … It's great in the early days, but if you keep doing it, … your career is going to stagnate, stall, … and eventually decline. … As the famed executive coach Marshall Goldsmith says, … "What got you here won't get you there." …