The smartest people have mastered these 6 core skills | Michael Watkins for Big Think+

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“I'm often asked, “Are great strategic thinkers born, or are they made?” And my answer is always yes. Like so many valuable human capabilities, it’s a mixture of nature, nurture, and experience.”

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Strategic thinking has always been a critical skill at the top: Leaders must be able to recognize emerging challenges and opportunities, establish the right priorities, and critically mobilize their people to adapt to the many changes that are going on.

Michael Watkins, author of The 6 Disciplines of Strategic Thinking, has defined six key mental disciplines that underlie our ability to recognize, prioritize, and mobilize.

Want to become the smartest person in the room and a better leader at work? Implement these six core skills to master your mind.

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About Michael Watkins

Michael D. Watkins is a professor of leadership at the IMD Business School and a co-founder of Genesis Advisers. He was a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Harvard Business School, and is the author of The Six Disciplines of Strategic Thinking and the international bestseller The First 90 Days.