Leading with Strategic Thinking: Four Ways Effective Leaders Gain Insight, Drive Change, and Get Results

A powerful guide to becoming a strategic leader who makes insightful business decisions and manages risk in volatile and unpredictable environments

Written by a team of seasoned strategy consultants, Strategy and Change: How to Succeed in the Face of Accelerating Disruptive Innovation delivers an insightful playbook on recognizing relevant patterns, making consistently sound business decisions, and effectively managing risk in a world defined by disruption and volatility. This follow-up to the authors’ first book, Leading with Strategic Thinking, covers major business developments and trends occurring since 2015. It explores disruption from technological advancements, like generative AI, as well as unforeseen crises, like the global COVID-19 pandemic.

In this book, readers will find invaluable insights into:

• The four ways to lead strategy in today’s complex business environment: visionary leadership, directive leadership, incubating leadership, and collaborative leadership
• How to analyze problems and make decisions that achieve short- and long-term success
• New methods to evaluate hazards as both threats and opportunities in a marketplace that has become increasingly disruptive and unpredictable

Grounded in the latest research and real-world case studies, Strategy and Change earns a well-deserved spot on the bookshelves of all executives, consultants, and entrepreneurs seeking proven guidance to navigate the new world of business. It’s also an invaluable resource for risk management professionals, academics, and early-career professionals involved in strategy and leadership.

AARON K. OLSON is Executive Vice President at Aon, where he has held various leadership roles focused on client engagement, corporate strategy, organizational effectiveness, and talent management. Aaron serves as adjunct faculty at Northwestern University teaching graduate and executive courses on strategy and leadership.

WARD CHING is an Adjunct Professor of Risk Management at the University of Southern California Marshall Business School where he teaches courses in enterprise risk management and disruptive risk innovation. Ward led the Strategic Solutions and Innovation Practice at Aon, where he focused on client risk strategy development, advanced decision analytics and alternative risk finance.

RICHARD WATERER is the Global Risk Consulting Leader at Aon. In this role, he is responsible for leading a team of 1,500 full-time risk consultants, helping clients to identify and quantify risk, select and implement strategies around risk transfer, retention and mitigation, and provides post-loss consulting.

B. KEITH SIMERSON, EdD, provides consultation, executive coaching, and advisory services in the areas of strategic leadership and strategy formulation and execution. He is on the adjunct faculty of Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy where he teaches graduate courses on strategy and leadership.