Advanced Strategic Thinking: Visionary Management for Leaders

Visionary management is an elusive concept without a clear role in strategic thinking. A systematic elaboration is called for to show how essential visioning is in a company’s strategic culture.We focus on visionary management and relate it to the development of strategic management by 1) exploring war and business strategy literature 2) clarifying tactical versus strategic and visionary thinking and 3) systematizing the underlying logic of advanced decision making. Elements vital for good decision making in business context were extracted: the logical distinction between strategy and tactics, subordination of tactics to strategy, and flexibility of strategy. A new paradigm of advanced strategic thinking where visionary management is the third layer of strategic management is summarized. The work is based on research over the years and on consultancy in companies and real-life examples of visionary leadership are demonstrated. We show how foresighted leaders guide the company and prepare it for uncertainties and new opportunities by means of visionary management. The book makes a contribution to strategy and futures research and visionary management.

Pentti Malaska,DTech,professor management science Turku School of Economics, consultant strategic&visionary management, researcher on energy and environment. Karin Holstius, D.Sc. Bus.Adm., professor international operations Lappeenranta University of Technology, international marketing Turku School of Economics