| Grammar speaks of events occurring in three | | | | racially distinct schools by racially |
| plains. The past was, the future will happen, | | | | distinct administrators. Opposition to LB1024 |
| and we live now, the present. However, | | | | was high before its passing, the Governor |
| operating in the information age, the age of | | | | faced strong opposition for signing it, the |
| instant global communication, makes the | | | | Attorney General believes it is in violation |
| future now. Gates [1] wrote we are citizens | | | | of federal law and unconstitutional and |
| of an information society. He noted that past | | | | Omaha's most famous citizen, Warren Buffet, |
| generations, and past societies found ways to | | | | expressed his strong opposition.Senator |
| gather information, get more work done, | | | | Chambers is the only African-American state |
| increase life spans, and improve their | | | | senator who is controversial and outspoken. |
| standards of living. Time was not as critical | | | | Many of his claims include racially |
| in those past ages. A message from a ruler | | | | provocative statements against police, school |
| may take months to arrive by sea courier. The | | | | administrators, teachers, and fellow |
| Pony Express was six days. Airmail was | | | | senators. By contrast, to Mayor Ryan, Senator |
| cross-country overnight. The time span | | | | Chambers does not appear to have a vision |
| between thought and action are virtually | | | | based on strategic thinking. Senator |
| unidentifiable today. Although leaders rely | | | | Chambers' term in the Unicameral ends in 2008 |
| on collective knowledge sharing, leaders who | | | | and he cannot run again because of imposed |
| engage in strategic thinking, imagining | | | | term limits.Morgan [10] offers some thoughts |
| events as happening rather than will happen, | | | | on social construction of reality. What he |
| allows them to view the present as their | | | | writes is people have images of themselves |
| personal and organizational future.This paper | | | | and these images unfold into their reality. |
| considers how important strategic thinking is | | | | Two leaders identified thus far have |
| for leaders who want to shape their future | | | | diversely different views of reality. One |
| and the future of their environment. | | | | holds a vision of what can be for the city |
| Strategic thinking is the starting point for | | | | while the other fights against change using |
| creating vision. Traditional planning gives | | | | deeply entrenched assumptions of the power of |
| way to flexible organizational structures | | | | others to shape events.Another person, a |
| that change "on the fly."Strategy in past | | | | division head of a large First Data |
| generations allowed leaders time for | | | | Corporation region [11], offered some insight |
| thinking, sensing a vision, clarifying the | | | | into strategic thinking and being visionary. |
| vision, articulating it to begin considering | | | | In an impromptu interview, she held that |
| action plans. Accepting that the future is no | | | | having a focus on what is possible helped her |
| longer an event to happen later, this paper | | | | rise within a company at a time when it was |
| explores how leaders think, envision, | | | | having serious leadership troubles. When |
| articulate, and plan. How do leaders continue | | | | everyone else was seeking safety, she sought |
| to use strategy to their advantage in a | | | | innovation-providing direction when it |
| rapidly changing global environment? The | | | | appeared there was none. Her member services |
| answer is in the age of possibilities [2]. | | | | region is the western United States, Canada, |
| Today, as never before we are free from | | | | and Mexico. She said, "I thrive on chaos. |
| traditional bonds of work, we are free to | | | | When things look the most confused, I see my |
| choose our futures as well as shape them to | | | | division diversified, flattened, with |
| suit our own desires and needs.This age is an | | | | empowered subordinate managers."Our dialogue |
| extension of Gates' information society. We | | | | continued on chaos with Kim conceding she |
| have the ability to choose our reality in a | | | | manages chaos within set organizational plans |
| way that never before existed. In the past, a | | | | and policies. This lead to her admission that |
| baker's son became a baker. However, many | | | | she is more ordered in her expectations and |
| leaders of the past came from unexpected | | | | spends more time planning than thinking and |
| places. The Biblical King David was the young | | | | creating vision.Strategic PlanningHill and |
| son tending sheep (1 Samuel 16:11) and Jesus | | | | Jones [12] discuss strategic planning with |
| was just the carpenter's son whose mother we | | | | the same cautions of Davis [13]. One concept |
| know (Matthew 13:55) [3]. Truman had | | | | of planning is doing so under uncertainties. |
| leadership thrust upon him. These people saw | | | | In life and business, the only certain is |
| a point on the horizon but events changes | | | | uncertainty. Organizations cannot plan for |
| their vision. The age of possibilities allows | | | | the future because it is unpredictable. |
| us to rewrite our future as events | | | | Another consideration is planning cannot be a |
| dictate.Accepting that we can change as | | | | top-management function alone. This "ivory |
| events dictate suggests that there is a less | | | | tower" planning may result in senior leaders |
| linear structure in this image and a more | | | | thinking in a vacuum, being enthusiastic |
| chaotic non-linear structure. Sanders [4] | | | | about a plan and having no operational |
| describes an organizational structure as a | | | | realities. Finally, strategic planning often |
| known initial condition but the future | | | | suffers because planners have a short-range |
| appears random. Using the model of the | | | | view of the current environment missing the |
| "Lorenz Attractor," she presents a view of | | | | dynamics of the competitive |
| interacting and interrelated parts that | | | | environment.Mintzberg, et al devotes a |
| appear disorderly until a closer inspection | | | | section to "Planning's Unplanned Troubles." |
| reveals the spiraling order hidden in the | | | | They explain that planning establishes |
| model. The Gates' information society and the | | | | inflexibility. They support the assertion |
| Taylor and Wacker age of possibilities do not | | | | presented above with the fallacy of |
| depend on a linear progression of thought and | | | | predetermination. This fallacy says |
| action and Sanders holds the non-linear | | | | organizations are able to predict the |
| nature of the new science of strategic | | | | direction of their environment, are able to |
| thinking allows us to understand natural | | | | exercise control over the environment, "or |
| order on its own terms.StrategyDoes strategy | | | | simply to assume its stability." "Because |
| have some mythical or mystical property? | | | | analysis is not synthesis, strategic planning |
| Leaders and leadership use the word in many | | | | has never been strategy making."Reverse |
| contexts, perhaps not really acknowledging | | | | course a little, planning is not a bad thing |
| what strategy is. Therefore, a simple working | | | | when used in cohort with strategic thinking |
| definition of strategy for this paper is the | | | | and visionary leadership. It is applying the |
| deliberate means of attaining an outcome, | | | | controlling element strategy to planning that |
| being visionary.Mintzberg, et al [5] explains | | | | causes problems. Morgan argues in favor of |
| that strategies inevitably have advantages | | | | plans and planning when created in a |
| and disadvantages. The advantage of setting | | | | visionary framework that can evolve as |
| direction is charting a course; however, the | | | | circumstances change. What they insinuate in |
| disadvantage is narrowing vision, hiding | | | | relating the tail of the "Strategic Termites" |
| dangers. The advantage of focusing effort is | | | | is unpredictability of organizational |
| coordination of activity; however, the | | | | structure. An organization's leader does not |
| disadvantage is groupthink. Having a | | | | need a strategic plan to impose order. Order, |
| definition of the organization provides | | | | like in a termite colony, emerges in an |
| understanding of the organization; however, | | | | evolutionary way. Planning is not guided by |
| the definition may hide the complexity of the | | | | plans rather by a sense of know what the |
| supporting systems. Having a strategy that | | | | organization wants to ultimately achieve. |
| provides consistency establishes order in a | | | | Ideas, action, and events occur separately |
| way that reduces ambiguity; however, creative | | | | but self-organizing yet apparently |
| groups appear to operate with little or no | | | | disorganized groups of termites seize the |
| consistency.Strategy involves paradoxes as | | | | opportunity to initiate change.The Future |
| the above paragraph suggests. One paradox | | | | Depends On ItSeeing the future depends on |
| tells us the story of answers and questions, | | | | foresight. Having a future view and |
| once you think you have all the answers, | | | | strategically thinking of the future creates |
| someone changes all the questions. Taylor and | | | | a new paradigm, part of the paradoxes already |
| Wacker state this paradox as, "The more you | | | | discussed. One old paradigm suggests future |
| are right, the more wrong you will be." This | | | | thought as a prediction and development of |
| contradiction confuses the reader, if you are | | | | plans based on the prediction. Making plans |
| right, how can you be wrong? How? The speed | | | | establishes policy necessary to reach the |
| of knowledge accelerated beyond our ability | | | | predicted future. When the predictions fail |
| to absorb it in our traditional learning | | | | to materialize an organization scrambles to |
| pattern.Another paradox for visionary leaders | | | | recover. Another paradigm is the invention of |
| involves predicting the future. Leaders who | | | | the future. This means people both construe |
| are successful predictors of the future act | | | | and become constrained by the structures they |
| as agents destabilizing the present. Taylor | | | | enact and change through practice. Gaspar [7] |
| and Wacker explain that today's realities and | | | | refers to the work of Mintzberg, et al, |
| tomorrows expectations collide. The | | | | saying the old paradigms do not work in |
| allocation of resources between present and | | | | future thinking organizations. She tells us |
| future "produce a massive future-based | | | | we must integrate a strategy that includes |
| political problem with huge consequences for | | | | patterns and perspectives with planning and |
| the present."Strategy at WorkThe State of | | | | positioning.Take a view of American companies |
| Nebraska recently made National news with the | | | | 100 years ago. Of the top 12 companies 100 |
| passage of LB1024 that, in effect, created | | | | years ago, ten dealt in selling commodities. |
| segregated school sub-districts in Omaha. The | | | | Today, of the top 12 U.S. companies, three |
| bill was the Unicameral's way to defeat | | | | deal in commodities. The remaining nine |
| intercity lawsuits claiming "One City - One | | | | companies deal in services, manufacturing, |
| School District." The City of Omaha annexed | | | | and high technology [14]. The only thing |
| several small suburban communities to its | | | | certain is change and business leaders must |
| west, provides police, fire, and city | | | | learn to cope with it in order to manage it. |
| services to these communities; however, the | | | | Coping with change and managing it mean |
| communities remained independent school | | | | businesses can profit from it. The future of |
| districts.The City of Bellevue annexed | | | | business is knowledge driven. Countries must |
| several Sanitary Improvement Districts (SID) | | | | be smart, companies must be smart, and people |
| to its west, provides police, fire and city | | | | must be smart.Countries, companies, and |
| services to these incorporated SIDs. Previous | | | | people must be equally smart at the same |
| mayors and city councils of Bellevue and | | | | time. To win the future game, each of the |
| Papillion drew arbitrary boarders marking the | | | | three must anticipate and adapt to change in |
| fringes of the two cities school districts | | | | order to manage it effectively. Mayor Ryan |
| in, what were then, unincorporated zones. | | | | admitted that government is slow to change. |
| Population growth attached itself close to | | | | By example, he cited the city council |
| Bellevue. Now, Bellevue's city limits extend | | | | established a steering committee to |
| beyond the school district boarders. | | | | investigate whether the city needed to spend |
| Therefore, Bellevue claims "One City - One | | | | money for computers in the mayor's office. |
| School District."By passing this bill, | | | | The city has a web presence but the city |
| Senator Chambers [6] acknowledged formal | | | | council did not adopt an intra- and |
| segregation of the districts. LB1024 created | | | | inter-city email system until the steering |
| two super-districts, one in Omaha, and one in | | | | committee received confirmation from |
| Bellevue. In Omaha, the super-district has | | | | surrounding cities of their system usage. The |
| three independent sub-districts. The | | | | mayor is 72; by contrast, the average age of |
| independent sub-districts have authority over | | | | the city council is about 63. Mayor Ryan |
| teacher hiring, measures of teacher/student | | | | recognizes the value of technology and |
| success under federal No Child Left Behind, | | | | aggressively seeks younger citizens to enter |
| and administration of their own budget. The | | | | city government. He hopes forward thinking |
| super-district has academic authority over | | | | younger people will drive the risk adverse |
| the smaller sub-districts.The strongest | | | | council toward active and aggressive risk |
| supporter of the LB1024 is the State's | | | | management.Senator Chambers is the longest |
| strongest proponent of desegregation. Why did | | | | serving Senator in the Nebraska Unicameral. |
| Senator Ernie Chambers of the State's 11th | | | | He is 69 years old and suffered racial slurs |
| district support the bill? He claimed the | | | | and isolation from fellow senators when he |
| Omaha school district is already segregated. | | | | took office. Slurs and threats, chalked on |
| Segregation re-occurred with the end of | | | | his capitol office door, remain and he |
| bussing in 1999. Yet, no Omaha high school is | | | | considers these a badge. He does not appear |
| more than 48 percent African | | | | on the senate floor in suit and tie. He wears |
| American.Bellevue Mayor Jerry Ryan | | | | blue jeans and sweat shirts in protest to |
| acknowledged the drain on city funds fighting | | | | conformity. However, Senator Chambers seems |
| to redraw school district lines. The fight in | | | | to exist in an era when racism and |
| Bellevue and Papillion is over federal | | | | segregation were the norm. He rarely seeks |
| dollars to schools with a population of | | | | coalition with other senators preferring to |
| children of military families. Offutt Air | | | | be a voice of defiance [15].These two leaders |
| Force Base is located near Bellevue and | | | | view the future differently. While one hopes |
| military dependent children attend elementary | | | | to achieve the future by recruiting younger |
| and secondary schools in both cities. | | | | forward thinking people into the political |
| Redrawing district lines would result in more | | | | system, the other remains rooted in the past. |
| federal money to the Bellevue Public School | | | | Neither manages the future proactively but |
| District.Strategic Thinking and VisionReading | | | | approach the future based on present and past |
| the paragraphs above may leave the reader | | | | experiences not through information seeking, |
| asking, "What were they thinking?" Recall the | | | | strategic thinking, and visionary mental |
| paradox of predicting the future affects the | | | | modeling.ConclusionThis paper discussed |
| present in adverse ways, yet successful | | | | strategy, strategic thinking and vision |
| leaders operate as though the future is | | | | making, planning, and the future. These are |
| now.Another view is that nothing turns out | | | | not separate activities although the |
| exactly as expected. This may leave leaders | | | | discussion presents them individually. By |
| in an action quandary: Strategic thinking in | | | | recognizing the Lorenz Attractor as a spiral |
| the midst of shifting paradigms servers to | | | | of interacting parts of an organization, one |
| help organizations "identify, respond to, and | | | | can also find this model fits a non-linear |
| influence changes in its | | | | process of thinking, vision, and planning. |
| environment."Strategic thinking allows | | | | Seeing the future as an evolving present |
| leaders to think in terms of opportunities to | | | | helps leaders comprehend that rigid policies |
| innovate and influence their future and the | | | | based on formalized strategic plans inhibit |
| future of their organization. Strategic | | | | response to change.Strategic thinking and |
| thinking aids in abandonment of policies and | | | | vision creation suggests that leaders |
| procedures that are outdated, obsolete, or | | | | continually test their mental model with new |
| ineffective.Strategic thinking is having an | | | | thinking and questioning - progressively |
| awareness of what has not yet taken shape, | | | | looping thinking, vision, and new information |
| having foresight. Foresight has a facet that | | | | into new thinking. This cycle process allows |
| is an individual ability and behavior and it | | | | leaders to anticipate disruptions in the |
| can be a process or activity in business. On | | | | business cycle. Leaders who question |
| a macro level, foresight is a global | | | | themselves asking, "what if ..." know "what |
| practice. Note, reaching a macro level must | | | | if ..." These leaders are future seeking and |
| pass from micro - individual, through mezzo - | | | | organizations employing these leaders are |
| organizational, to reach macro. Foresight | | | | future seeking learning organizations |
| starts with the individual leader seeing or | | | | prepared to change before change occurs.This |
| sensing something better [7].Foresight is | | | | paper does not deny the value of planning as |
| more than vision; it is visionary. Being a | | | | part of a strategic process. However, rigid |
| visionary leader means being provocative and | | | | planning that does not calculate the shifting |
| questioning rather than seeing answers. | | | | horizon of organizational development leaves |
| Mintzberg, et al (1998) calls upon visionary | | | | the company questioning, "What happened," |
| leaders to operate on emotional and spiritual | | | | rather than "what's happening."Foresight |
| resources, values, aspirations, and | | | | allows for strategic management, forecasting |
| commitment. Leaders need a mental image, | | | | and positioning of an organization. The |
| build a mental model of a desirable future | | | | outcome from foresight in business is the |
| state. The visionary state is as simple as a | | | | anticipated future becoming an inevitable |
| dream or complex as a written document | | | | future.References:1. Gates, B. (1996). The |
| outlining the dream in measurable | | | | Road Ahead. New York: Penguin |
| steps.Visionary leaders must next translate | | | | Books.2. Taylor, J., Wacker, W. with Means, |
| the dream of the desirable future state into | | | | H. (2000). The Visionary's Handbook: Nine |
| a vision they can share with the | | | | Paradoxes that will Shape the Future of Your |
| organization. Sharing a vision must be | | | | Business. New Youk: Harper-Collins |
| proactive, must be like a theater | | | | Publishers, Inc.3. Holy Bible. New |
| performance. Mintzberg, et al addresses | | | | International Version. Bible Online. |
| performance by the leader as a rehearsal. | | | | Retrieved from Sanders, T. I. (1998). |
| Rehearsal is the practice of the vision, | | | | Strategic Thinking and the New Science: |
| learning everything they can about the | | | | Planning in the midst of chaos, complexity, |
| vision. Upon becoming comfortable in | | | | and change. New York: The Free |
| rehearsal, the leader must openly perform the | | | | Press.5. Mintzberg, M. Ahlstrand, B. & |
| vision. Performance brings a dream to life; | | | | Lampel, J. (1998). Strategy Safari: A guided |
| however, performance has no value without the | | | | tour through the wilds of strategic |
| attending audience. The organizational | | | | Management. New York: The Free |
| audience views the performance while feeling | | | | Press.6. Gaspar, J. (2005, August 21-24). |
| empowered to mimic the performance. | | | | Corporate foresight - an attempt to listen to |
| Organizational mimicking of the performance | | | | the voices futures' generations in the |
| serves as a starting point for transformation | | | | strategy making process. Future Studies |
| to a higher state of consciousness, becoming, | | | | Department, Corvinus University of Budapest. |
| as Senge [8] describes, a learning | | | | Retrieved June 15, 2006 from J. Ryan |
| organization.Bellevue, Nebraska is the third | | | | (personal communication, April 28, 2006) in |
| largest city in the state. Eight years ago, | | | | discussion of mayoral leadership strategy in |
| Jerry Ryan made his first run for Bellevue | | | | a metropolitan community.8. Senge, P. M. |
| Mayor winning an election against a popular | | | | (1990). The Fifth Discipline: The art & |
| mayor. Bellevue's population in 1998 was | | | | practice of the learning organization. New |
| about 29,000. Improvements in transportation, | | | | York: Currency and Doubleday.9. Morgan, G. |
| cost of housing and housing developments, and | | | | (1993). Imaginization: The Art of Creative |
| growth in retail and commercial ventures has | | | | Management. Newbury Park: Sage Publishing, |
| caused an explosion in population to almost | | | | Inc.10. Hill, C. W. L. & Jones, G. R. (1998). |
| 50,000 with an extended sphere of services | | | | Strategic Management: An integrated approach. |
| into not yet annexed developments of an | | | | Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.11. Davis, |
| additional population of about 15,000.In the | | | | S. (1996). Future Perfect. Reading, MA: |
| May 2006 primary, Mayor Ryan [9] ran against | | | | Addison-Wesley.12. Ong Teck Mong, T. (2006, |
| a field of opponents. Mayor Ryan ran on the | | | | May 7). Anticipating and Managing Change: The |
| ideal that Bellevue has reached a size that | | | | Key to Future Success. Asian Institute of |
| requires a full time mayor devoted to the | | | | Management 37th Commencement Ceremonies. |
| city. Opponents, all in their seventies, do | | | | Retrieved June 16, 2006 from Ernie Chambers. |
| not share his view. Mayor Ryan won the | | | | (2006). Wikipedia. Retrieved May 31, 2006 |
| majority of primary votes telling the city | | | | from Blackman, D. A. and Henderson, S. |
| his vision. In interview with Mayor Ryan, he | | | | (2004). How foresight creates unforeseen |
| expressed how hard it is to run a city of | | | | futures: the role of doubting. Futures, 36. |
| 50,000 part-time. "Citizens think I run the | | | | 253-266.15. Johnson, T. A. (2000). An |
| city. They are not aware that it is the City | | | | Intellectual and Political Biography of |
| Council that approves all action. And, the | | | | Nebraska State Senator Ernest Chambers: |
| City Council doesn't want a full time mayor," | | | | Activist, Statesman, and Humanist, 1937-. |
| said Ryan in interview. "If there is one | | | | Plains Humanities Alliance: Events. Retrieved |
| thing I've failed to do," said Ryan, "is | | | | May 31, 2006 from Nadler, D. A. and Tushman, |
| adequately share my thinking and vision | | | | M. L. (1997). Competing by Design: The Power |
| within the council."In the "One City - One | | | | of Organizational Architecture. New York: |
| School District" battle in Omaha, the school | | | | Oxford University Press.17. Somasegar (No |
| district argued that incorporation of | | | | First Name) (2006, January 21). Strategic |
| suburban districts into Omaha would create a | | | | Thinking. Retrieved June 2, 2006 from |
| broader tax base, allow for creation of | | | | Hoffman is a student at Regent University |
| magnet schools throughout the district, and | | | | studying toward a Doctor of Strategic |
| more equitably share resources. Senator | | | | Leadership, holds a MA, Leadership and BS, |
| Chambers, in support of LB1024, argued that | | | | Organizational Communication. He is an |
| schools already segregated would have more | | | | adjunct at Bellevue University and |
| administrative control over their districts | | | | Metropolitan Community College. |
| to create educational opportunities for | | | | |