Calculating where things are going

"I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been." - Wayne Gretzky

Wayne Gretzky is widely considered the GOAT of ice hockey. Known more for scoring stunning goals than delivering insightful quotes, Gretzky may not stereotypically appear like somebody well-positioned to offer strategy advice.

But his approach - captured in this classic quote - perfectly captures the value of a strategy practice that includes strategic foresight.

Developing a sense of where the puck is most likely to go to (in the future), is the calculated insight that puts the best players on the front foot. Strategy without foresight (without a sense of anticipation of what the future might look like) is dated and ineffective by design.

Skating to where the puck was ain't going to create the ideal conditions under which winning is possible.

Knowing what the current trends are (a practice that most pay attention to) is simply knowing where the puck is right now. Trend analysis is only a part of the story; futures thinking is a commitment to the full picture.