Strategy over tactics
Tactical thinking is a common trap that everyone falls into. It happens when we focus on solving the immediate problem in front of us, without considering whether we’re moving in the right direction. If we look at successful people, they’ve usually created habits which help them think strategically - focusing on positioning and long-term outcomes rather than just the next move.
On a personal level, tactical thinking can keep us busy while moving us away from our goals, and at an organisational level it can cause products, teams, or even whole companies to optimise themselves into irrelevance.
The trick is knowing when we need strategic thinking to set direction, and when tactical execution is actually what’s needed. Being aware that this is a trade-off is half the battle, and defaulting to thinking strategically will help us to make better decisions.