
Both challenges stem from our growing inability to see beyond the immediate, to understand complex patterns, and to think strategically rather than just react tactically.
Steve Caplan
How to revive strategic thinking in an age of digital outrage
But here’s the irony — and the opportunity. The very human capacity for strategic thinking that we’re in danger of losing is exactly what we need to address these challenges. Real strategy — the kind that comes from experience, insight, and understanding human dynamics — is what separates successful crisis response from digital chaos, and effective governance from populist reaction.
What we need now isn’t just better plays within the old rulebook — or wild throws hoping for miracle catches. The game itself has fundamentally changed, and with it, our need for a different kind of strategic thinking.
The strategic thinking I learned in those early campaign days wasn’t just about careful advancement — it was about seeing the whole field, understanding the human dynamics at play, and recognizing patterns that others missed.
The philosophers who wrote amid the chaos of the mid-20th century weren’t just documenting their moment. They were providing frameworks for navigating fundamental change while preserving what matters most. Their insights remind us that strategic thinking isn’t just a set of tactical tools — it’s a fundamentally human capacity that becomes most crucial precisely when the old rules no longer apply.