The Best Strategies Don’t Just Take a Long View. They Take a Broad View.

Constants in the business environment are change, speed, uncertainty, disruption and surprise. The result is that leaders can't simply plan for what they think will happen in the long term. To prepare themselves for the threats and opportunities that can emerge at any moment from any direction, they need to adopt a much broader view. The broad view of strategy is important, and the authors recommend that leaders think differently by focusing on systems, scenarios, and not plans.

The long view and focusing on where they are going is how leaders have been told to think strategically. The three-horizons framework reflects this focus. In an ever more connected and fast-paced world, leaders have to develop strategies that take into account not only the long view but also the broad view, which encompass the full spectrum of opportunities and threats that are emerging on all sides.