Aaron Olson > Aaron's Quotes

“I really don't know why it is that all of us are so committed to the sea, except I think it's because in addition to the fact that the sea changes, and the light changes, and ships change, it's because we all came from the sea. And it is an interesting biological fact that all of us have in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea - whether it is to sail or to watch it - we are going back from whence we came.

[Remarks at the Dinner for the America's Cup Crews, September 14 1962]”
― John F. Kennedy

“People in the trenches are usually in touch with impending changes early”
― Andrew S. Grove, Only the Paranoid Survive: How to Exploit the Crisis Points that Challenge Every Company and Career

“People who have no emotional stake in a decision can see what needs to be done sooner.”
― Andrew Grove

“You need to be more strategic.” When someone receives this kind of feedback, what does it mean?”
― Aaron Olson, Leading with Strategic Thinking: Four Ways Effective Leaders Gain Insight, Drive Change, and Get Results

“From an academic perspective, we see strategic thinking at the intersection of three fields of study: cognitive psychology, systems thinking, and game theory.”
― Aaron Olson, Leading with Strategic Thinking: Four Ways Effective Leaders Gain Insight, Drive Change, and Get Results

“we see strategic thinking at the intersection of three fields of study: cognitive psychology, systems thinking, and game theory.”
― Aaron Olson, Leading with Strategic Thinking: Four Ways Effective Leaders Gain Insight, Drive Change, and Get Results

“Applying cognitive psychology helps you manage your biases and blind spots.”
― Aaron Olson, Leading with Strategic Thinking: Four Ways Effective Leaders Gain Insight, Drive Change, and Get Results

“Systems thinking helps you broaden the slate of factors you consider when evaluating options and prioritizing actions.”
― Aaron Olson, Leading with Strategic Thinking: Four Ways Effective Leaders Gain Insight, Drive Change, and Get Results

“Game theory helps you further recognize the ramifications of your decisions and actions and take steps to mitigate opposing forces.”
― Aaron Olson, Leading with Strategic Thinking: Four Ways Effective Leaders Gain Insight, Drive Change, and Get Results

“The questions we ask are a key influence on how we interpret and interact with the environment.”
― Aaron Olson, Leading with Strategic Thinking: Four Ways Effective Leaders Gain Insight, Drive Change, and Get Results

“Strategic thinking without leadership risks becoming an intellectual exercise,”
― Aaron Olson, Leading with Strategic Thinking: Four Ways Effective Leaders Gain Insight, Drive Change, and Get Results

“Leadership without strategic thinking risks not creating meaningful value,”
― Aaron Olson, Leading with Strategic Thinking: Four Ways Effective Leaders Gain Insight, Drive Change, and Get Results

“Effective strategy formation involves solving problems in a way that adds value, is unique when compared to other options, and is sustainable over time.”
― Aaron Olson, Leading with Strategic Thinking: Four Ways Effective Leaders Gain Insight, Drive Change, and Get Results

“Strategy execution involves delivering on the proposed solution.”
― Aaron Olson, Leading with Strategic Thinking: Four Ways Effective Leaders Gain Insight, Drive Change, and Get Results

“Strategic leaders create tremendous value and impact if they can effectively solve the riddles of strategy formation and strategy execution.”
― Aaron Olson, Leading with Strategic Thinking: Four Ways Effective Leaders Gain Insight, Drive Change, and Get Results

“we define the strategic leader as the individual who—regardless of role, position, or title—intentionally takes advantage of opportunities to think strategically, influence others toward a chosen course of action, and garner needed buy-in, commitment, and advocacy.”
― Aaron Olson, Leading with Strategic Thinking: Four Ways Effective Leaders Gain Insight, Drive Change, and Get Results

“Visionary leaders are passionate and unrelenting in the pursuit of a particular view of the world.”
― Aaron Olson, Leading with Strategic Thinking: Four Ways Effective Leaders Gain Insight, Drive Change, and Get Results

“The best directive leaders we spoke with saw themselves as building a system.”
― Aaron Olson, Leading with Strategic Thinking: Four Ways Effective Leaders Gain Insight, Drive Change, and Get Results

“The incubating leader defines personal success on the basis of the success of others.”
― Aaron Olson, Leading with Strategic Thinking: Four Ways Effective Leaders Gain Insight, Drive Change, and Get Results

“So the realm of strategy is one of bargaining and persuasion as well as threats and pressure, psychological as well as physical effects, and words as well as deeds. This is why strategy is the central political art. It is about getting more out of a situation than the starting balance of power would suggest. It is the art of creating power.”
― Lawrence Freedman, Strategy: A History

“God created strategy by allowing choice,”
― Lawrence Freedman, Strategy: A History