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211 Bill Duggan: Strategic Intuition

Intuition, a cognitive skill, can help businesses gain competitive advantage by identifying and exploiting strategic opportunities that others miss.

Bill Duggan: Strategic Intuition

Summary

In "Strategic Intuition", Bill Duggan introduces the concept of intuition as a cognitive skill that can be developed and applied in strategic thinking. He argues that traditional approaches to strategy often rely on analysis and planning, but fail to capture the full potential of strategic intuition. Drawing on examples from diverse fields, from business to art, Duggan shows how intuitive thinking can help identify and exploit strategic opportunities that others miss, and create new solutions to complex problems. He presents a practical framework for developing strategic intuition, based on four key steps: scan, focus, connect, and act. "Strategic Intuition" is a thought-provoking and practical guide for anyone looking to enhance their strategic thinking skills.

About

Title: Strategic Intuition

Author: Bill Duggan

Publishing year: 2008

Publisher: Columbia Business School Publishing

Length in hours: 6 hours and 46 minutes

5 main ideas

  1. Intuition is a cognitive skill that can be developed and applied in strategic thinking.
  2. Traditional approaches to strategy often rely on analysis and planning, but fail to capture the full potential of strategic intuition.
  3. Strategic intuition can help identify and exploit strategic opportunities that others miss, and create new solutions to complex problems.
  4. The development of strategic intuition requires a systematic approach, based on four key steps: scan, focus, connect, and act.
  5. Intuitive thinking can be enhanced through practice and training, and can become a valuable tool for individuals and organizations seeking to gain competitive advantage.
Bill Duggan: Strategic Intuition

5 funny quotes

  1. "I have an intuition that something's going to happen." - Howard Nemerov
  2. "The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits." - attributed to Albert Einstein
  3. "I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it." - Thomas Jefferson
  4. "I have a photographic memory, but I always forget to put in the film." - Steven Wright
  5. "I told the doctor I broke my leg in two places. He told me to quit going to those places." - Henny Youngman

5 thought-provoking quotes​

  1. "Intuition is seeing with the soul." - Dean Koontz
  2. "The intellect has little to do on the road to discovery. There comes a leap in consciousness, call it intuition or what you will, and the solution comes to you, and you don't know why or how." - Albert Einstein
  3. "The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift." - attributed to Albert Einstein
  4. "Intuition is the supra-logic that cuts out all the routine processes of thought and leaps straight from the problem to the answer." - Robert Graves
  5. "The best way to predict the future is to invent it." - Alan Kay

5 dilemmas

  1. Balancing intuition with analysis: When is it appropriate to rely on intuition versus analytical reasoning?
  2. The reliability of intuitive decision-making: Can intuition be trusted, or is it too prone to bias and error?
  3. The role of intuition in leadership: How can leaders develop and use their intuitive abilities to inspire and guide their teams?
  4. Intuition versus expertise: How do experts balance their deep knowledge and experience with intuitive insights?
  5. The challenge of training and developing intuition: Can intuition be taught and cultivated, or is it a purely innate ability?

5 examples

  1. Steve Jobs, who famously relied on his intuition to drive innovation and create products that revolutionized the tech industry.
  2. Warren Buffett, who has credited his intuitive abilities as a key factor in his investment success.
  3. Mary Lou Jepsen, founder of Openwater, who used her intuition to develop imaging technology that could revolutionize medical diagnostics.
  4. Oprah Winfrey, who has spoken about how trusting her intuition has guided her career and personal life.
  5. Serena Williams, who has credited her intuitive instincts as a key factor in her success on the tennis court.

Referenced books

  1. "Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius
  2. "Letters from a Stoic" by Seneca
  3. "Discourses and Selected Writings" by Epictetus
  4. "The Enchiridion" by Epictetus
  5. "The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness" by Epictetus (translated by Sharon Lebell)

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"One of the key characteristics of strategic intuition is the capacity to see the world differently from others. When we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change."

Bill Duggan: Strategic Intuition
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