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I want to tell you something that might sound a little indulgent at first.
Some of my best work happens on my back porch.
Not at my desk. Not in a meeting room. Not on a call. On the couch on my back porch, or in front of the fireplace in the winter, or on the lanai at our Florida home looking out at the nature preserve. Somewhere I genuinely love to be.
For a long time I didn't think much about why that was. I just knew that when I needed to think, really think, I gravitated toward those places. It wasn't until I started paying closer attention to myself as a leader that I understood what was actually happening.
My desk is where I execute. Those other places are where I think.
And that distinction, simple as it sounds, changed everything about how I approach strategic thinking.
Before a recent conference, I asked attendees what leadership challenge they were wrestling with most. The answer came back the same way again and again. They wanted more time to step back, see the bigger picture, build systems, identify trends, and lead with more intention instead of simply reacting to whatever landed in front of them.
I don't think that's unique to those leaders. I think it's one of the biggest challenges facing leaders today.
We're surrounded by meetings, emails, texts, unexpected problems, competing priorities, and constant interruptions. By the time the day is over, we've worked incredibly hard, but it doesn't always feel like we've moved anything meaningful forward.
The assumption most leaders make is that if they just had more time, they'd think more strategically.
I'm not sure that's the real problem.
I think the real problem is that we wait for strategic thinking to happen instead of creating the conditions that make it possible. And most of us have never stopped long enough to ask ourselves what those conditions actually are for us specifically.
That's a Mental Readiness issue.
Mental Readiness isn't simply about having the capacity to think. It's about intentionally creating the space to think about what matters most. And it starts with something that doesn't get nearly enough attention in leadership development.
Knowing yourself.
After all, we, the person, are the ones leading. Self-awareness is the foundation of every aspect of our leadership. Which means if you don't know what conditions help you think clearly, you'll keep trying to do your best thinking in environments that work against you.
Most leaders do exactly that.
They finally carve out thirty minutes on the calendar, sit down at their desk where interruptions live and email notifications beckon, and spend half that time trying to figure out what they should even be thinking about. By the time they're ready, the thirty minutes are gone. Strategic thinking didn't happen. Decision fatigue did.
Strategic thinking starts before you ever block the time. It starts with preparation. And not just logistical preparation.
Think about almost any meaningful change you want to make. If you want to begin exercising regularly, you don't simply decide to work out. You find the gym, choose the time, buy the shoes, maybe even stock the refrigerator differently. You remove as many obstacles as possible before you begin. If you want to establish a meditation practice, you don't just hope you'll find a quiet moment. You create a quiet place.
You prepare for success before success is required.
Strategic thinking deserves the same treatment.
But here's what I'd add that most productivity advice leaves out. Make it something you actually look forward to. Treat your thinking time like a mini retreat. Separate yourself from the normal. Make it special. When I settle into a place I truly love, a strategic task becomes something I anticipate instead of something I have to force myself to do. The thinking gets better because I actually want to be there.
So before you protect time on your calendar, do two things. First, know what deserves your attention. Gather the information you'll need and remove distractions before they find you. Second, and just as important, choose an environment where you think well. Not where you answer email. Not where interruptions find you. A place that feels a little like a retreat, even if it's just the back porch and a cup of coffee.
Then, when your thinking time begins, you're ready to think instead of trying to figure out what to think about.
Over the years, I've landed on a handful of questions that anchor my own strategic thinking. I don't always move through them in order, and they don't always produce immediate answers. But they reliably produce clarity.
What's most important right now? What ideas do I have that could move the needle on that specifically? Brainstorm this one and focus on quantity, not quality! Which one has the greatest leverage to make the biggest impact? Who can help me? And finally, what's my next clear move?
That last question is the one that turns thinking into action. Because clarity without a next step is just a very pleasant afternoon on the porch.
As artificial intelligence becomes more capable of handling routine tasks and helping us build better systems, this becomes even more important. AI can help us reclaim capacity, organize information, and streamline execution. But AI can't decide what matters most. It can't know what lights you up or where you create the most value or what kind of leader you want to become.
That's still your work. And it requires Mental Readiness.
Mental Readiness isn't about squeezing more into your day. It's about protecting enough thinking space to focus on the work only you can do. And it starts with knowing yourself well enough to create the conditions where your best thinking actually happens.
Your Next Clear Move is this. Before you schedule time for strategic thinking this week, decide where you're going to do it. Not your desk. Somewhere you genuinely love to be. Bring those six questions with you. And treat it like the mini retreat it is.
Because your best thinking isn't waiting for more time.
It's waiting for the right conditions.