Book Review: Ahead of the Curve
Ahead of the Curve is a guide to applied strategic
thinking by Steven J. Stowell and Stephanie S.
Mead. This book provides excellent tools for team members
and leaders at all levels and in any size organization to become
more effective strategic thinkers.
The authors draw you into the book by sharing examples of people
who have utilized strategic thinking effectively. This allows
readers to apply the learning to real life situations. The book
educates us that strategic thinkers aren't, or shouldn't be,
found solely in company boardrooms but throughout every level in
an organization, team, or group.
The roadmap or model shared in Ahead of the
Curve has been extremely helpful to me as I strive to make
effective decisions in both the personal and professional areas
of my life. The "strategic dashboard" is a section of the model
that provides guidance in one of the more challenging but highly
impacting areas of thinking strategically. That highly area is
the ability to work on the right things or effectively
"acquiring the target" thereby increasing the ability to be
successful.
Having had the personal opportunity to experience the content of
this book through participation in the workshop conducted by the
authors as well as having facilitated the Applied Strategic
Thinking workshop, I can enthusiastically state that I have
greatly improve my strategic thinking abilities.
In addition, Leaders have expressed how the model and the
details found in this book have helped them and their efforts to
stay ahead of the many curves that come rushing at all of us in
our business and personal lives.
The future is rushing at us at what seems to be an ever
increasing speed. With the help of the authors' applied
strategic thinking model and guidance found in Ahead of the
Curve, we can stay in control and turn the steering wheel
before we're at risk of sliding off the road through the curves
life brings our way.
While we won't be able to tell the future, the model and
guidance in this book can help us be more adept at making
decisions that result in bigger and better results. After all,
including the word "applied" in the book's title isn't an
accident; it's all about applying those things that can put us
"ahead of the curve". I highly recommend this book!