The importance of lived company values in difficult times

Company Values - Strategic Thinking

Values are highly popular among companies around the world. Almost every large enterprise has published a set of corporate values on their website and in glossy brochures. There is a good reason for this, because values can fulfil several important functions: they guide corporate decisions, shape company culture, influence employee behaviour and attract talent. Popular … Read more

5 Common Strategic Planning Mistakes SMEs Should Avoid

The experts have been debating the use of strategic planning for some time. Already in the mid-1990s, Canadian management professor Henry Mintzberg questioned the use of a formal strategic planning process in his book “The Rise and Fall of Strategic Planning”. And in view of fast, partly unforeseeable changes, there are good reasons to doubt … Read more

Listen to Your Intuition | Business Lessons from the World Chess Championship Match Carlsen – Karjakin, Part 6

After 12 games of the world chess championship between Magnus Carlsen and Sergey Karjakin the score was 6-6, and a tiebreak became necessary to get a decision in the match. The tiebreak on Wednesday, 30 November, consisted of four rapid games with 25 minutes plus 10 seconds increment per move for each player. With such … Read more

Face Your Mistakes | Business Lessons from the World Chess Championship Match Carlsen – Karjakin, Part 5

Game 10 of the world chess championship match between Magnus Carlsen and Sergey Karjakin was a tragicomedy of errors. In a slightly better position, Carlsen gave up his advantage through an inaccurate exchange of bishops in move 19. After that, Karjakin missed two opportunities for immediately forcing a draw. In view of his one-point lead … Read more

Managing Risks with Circumspection | Business Lessons from the World Chess Championship Match Carlsen – Karjakin, Part 4

On Monday, 21 November, the world chess championship match between titleholder Magnus Carlsen and his challenger Sergey Karjakin saw the first decided game after seven draws. Game 8 took a dramatic course and ended in a win for Karjakin with the black pieces after 52 moves. The game perfectly illustrates the fourth success principle from … Read more

Be Prepared | Business Lessons from the World Chess Championship Match Carlsen – Karjakin, Part 3

The Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616) coined the famous phrase: “To be prepared is half the victory.” The current world chess championship match between titleholder Magnus Carlsen and his challenger Sergey Karjakin is proof that this old wisdom still applies. Both contestants appear extremely well prepared on three levels: chess openings, mental robustness, and … Read more

How to be Resilient | Business Lessons from the World Chess Championship Match Carlsen – Karjakin, Part 2

The character of the world chess championship match between world champion Magnus Carlsen and his challenger Sergey Karjakin has changed: while they were testing each other’s (and the viewers’) patience in games 1 and 2, just waiting for the other side to make a mistake that never happened, the next two games were characterized by … Read more

Business Lessons from the World Chess Championship Match Carlsen – Karjakin | Part 1: The Importance of Patience

The Norwegian world champion Magnus Carlsen and his Russian challenger Sergey Karjakin started their fight for the chess crown in New York on 11 November 2016. Some commentators were disappointed by the first two games of the world chess championship: they both ended in a draw without any exciting things happening on the board. In … Read more

Strategic Investing Means Long-Term Investing – Interview with Stock Market Expert Thomas Anton Schuster

Thomas Anton Schuster is the owner of a forwarding agency in the greater Munich area. In addition, he has been investing in stocks for more than three decades and is sharing now his investment knowledge as a speaker. In an interview with Milon Gupta he explains exclusively to readers of the Strategic Thinking Blog, what … Read more

3 Core Principles of Strategic Leadership under Uncertainty

We live in uncertain times. Today, leadership may often feel like being the captain of a sailing ship in a heavy thunderstorm. While you are keeping the ship above water, you are struggling to keep your orientation, and you don’t know what will happen next. Just think back 12 months. In August 2015, we didn’t … Read more

Video: Think ahead and succeed!

    The video presents selected parts of a keynote speech by Milon Gupta on how to think ahead and succeed. It features the effective use of thought patterns, the importance of imagination, and how to use your intuition. In addition, Milon Gupta shares some thoughts on his approach to speaking, training, and coaching.

What The Brexit Means For Your Business

On 23 June 2016, 51.9% of the British electorate voted in a referendum for leaving the European Union. The consequences of this vote for Brexit, short for ‘British exit’, are not yet fully clear. Many open questions remain, like, for example: When will the British government invoke article 50 of the EU treaty on withdrawing … Read more