25 Commands and Techniques of Strategic Thinking

Mojtaba Lashkarbalouki, in the book “25 Commands and Techniques of Strategic Thinking,” offers a mental toolbox for facing today’s complex world instead of the usual management theories. The book transforms strategic thinking from a management expert’s skill into a daily behavior and a way of life. The author presents a well-structured approach with ten commands, twenty cognitive tools, and real examples to help readers apply this type of thinking in personal and professional life. The book begins by asserting that strategic thinking is the art of noticing what others ignore, whether in upcoming opportunities or hidden threats. This sharp perspective requires focused intent to avoid losing direction in today’s busy world and to concentrate energy on the most important issues. The author emphasizes the importance of unspoken questions, highlighting that finding the right question is more important than finding the answer, preparing the mind to uncover deeper layers of an issue. Then, the focus moves to identifying distinguishing factors that differentiate individuals or organizations and give them a competitive edge. This outlook is tied to searching for potential benefits, demonstrating that extraordinary opportunities exist within ordinary situations. Lashkarbalouki introduces a tool called ‘multiple memories from the future,’ a scenario-building method to prepare for various possibilities. This frees the mind from linear and one-dimensional thinking. The book guides readers toward creating a value-generating system and expanding options. Here, readers realize that limitations in choices often reflect mental constraints, which can be broken by generating and testing new ideas. This process ultimately leads to designing a win-win-win game—an approach where success is sustainable only when the interests of all parties, including society, are met. In the book’s final sections, focusing on regenerative and sustainable cycles, the author discusses sustainable growth through continuous renewal. In “25 Commands and Techniques of Strategic Thinking,” Lashkarbalouki does not tell us what to think but teaches us how to think. This book is a starting point for transforming from a passive reactor into a future architect and active participant.