Strategic Thinking Skills

Enter the fascinating world of strategic thinking. Start by learning some of the key terms and concepts you'll encounter, with a focus on the differences between "strategy" and "tactics." You're also introduced to how strategic thinking works in business, politics, military combat, sports, and much more.

Follow along as strategic thinking develops in military engagements from the French Revolution to the close of World War I. You'll examine the contributions of Napoleon Bonaparte (whose strategies of indirect approach and central positioning demonstrate the power of ideas over material resources), influential military theorists, and famous geopolitical thinkers.

Objective. Offensive. Maneuver. Unity of Command. Security. Professor Ridgley demystifies these and other principles of war in use by the U.S. military since the 1920s. Each of these principles goes beyond military action and can offer you vital guidelines for executing your professional and personal strategies against a sometimes hostile world.

Delve into the influence of microgeography on your own decision making, and discover how interacting with your physical space in situations of conflict and competition can make or break your chances of success. Case studies and examples in this lecture range from Napoleon's defeat at the Battle of Waterloo to a simple chess match.