We’re entering the era of strategic wisdom
For decades, technical expertise, operational excellence, and even data literacy have defined competitive advantage. But we’re now entering a new era—one where information is abundant, intelligence is automated, and execution is increasingly delegated to algorithms.
In my early career, a strategic or ‘business plan’ was usually a large document that explained the business and it’s markets, owners, aspirational goals, and usually only needed for financiers or investors. It wasn’t a daily operational document for the business and strategy was typically derived in an ‘offsite’ once or twice a year.
But we are moving from the Information Age into what many are calling the Wisdom Era—a time when the real advantage comes not from knowing more, but from choosing well.
In this new landscape, strategy is the new skill frontier.
Why? Because intelligence is no longer scarce.
AI can summarise, analyse, create, optimise and execute at a speed and scale no human can match. The bottleneck is no longer information—it’s judgment.
We’re entering the era of strategic wisdom.
Strategic wisdom is the ability to:
make sense of complexity,
discern what truly matters,
align decisions with purpose and long-term impact,
and turn insight into direction.
This is the skill AI cannot replace—and the one businesses need most.
Three forces driving this shift:
1. AI is commoditising intelligence.
Insights once reserved for experts are now available to anyone who can ask a good question. The value moves from analysis to judgment.
2. Organisations are navigating unprecedented complexity.
Markets shift faster, expectations rise higher, and disruption is constant. Strategy is no longer an annual offsite—it’s a continuous organisational capability.
3. Leadership is evolving.
Modern leaders are expected to be sense-makers: people who can see patterns, simplify ambiguity, and connect decisions to purpose and impact.
So what does this mean?
It means strategy is no longer the domain of the C-suite.
It’s becoming a core skill for everyone who wants to stay relevant.
The marketer who can interpret shifting customer behaviour.
The technologist who can choose the right problems to solve.
The manager who can navigate ambiguity
Founders who can align direction with values and vision
These are strategic skills—rooted in discernment, systems thinking, and practical wisdom.
As intelligence becomes abundant, the rarest skill will be the ability to use it well.
And those who can elevate their thinking from information → insight → wisdom will define the next generation of leadership.
It’s better strategy—thinking, choosing, and acting with clarity, wisdom and purpose in a world overflowing with possibilities.
#BWAPIM #BeginWithAPurposeInMind #strategicwisdom
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