May 22, 2025
- Learn to assess market opportunities, threats, and profit potential using strategic frameworks.
- Discover how to anticipate and respond to industry shifts, emerging competitors, and technological disruptions.
- Explore proven ways that help organizations stand out and thrive in competitive markets.
- Gain hands-on experience with frameworks for monitoring external trends, assessing competitor strategies, and making data-driven decisions.
The Foundations of Strategic Thinking
- Understanding what strategy is (and isn’t) and why it matters at all levels
- The role of strategic thinking in driving organizational success
- How strategic thinkers identify opportunities and anticipate challenges
Evaluating the Competitive Landscape
- Applying Porter’s Five Forces to assess industry dynamics and competition
- Identifying threats and opportunities in a rapidly changing business environment
- Analyzing profit opportunities and market positioning for long-term success
Building and Sustaining Competitive Advantage
- The four key actions that help organizations differentiate and stay ahead
- How to create value in unique ways that competitors struggle to replicate
- Lessons from industry leaders like Trader Joe’s, Viking Cruises, and Stihl
Strategic Tools and Frameworks for Business Insight
- Using structured frameworks to monitor trends and competitive movements
- How to draw key insights from your company’s strategy and that of competitors
- Practical application of strategy tools through real-world business cases
Strategic thinking is a rare and valuable competency that is needed at all levels of the organization. It is the number one development requirement for the next generation of leaders. Those who have it will see more opportunities for contribution and for advancement. This program will help you develop a foundational understanding of strategy, enabling you to make a broader impact in your organization.
In this program you will learn:
- Five key forces that influence strategy
- Four actions that build a competitive advantage
- Frameworks for monitoring external trends and competitive activities
The application of these strategic concepts will be brought to life through engaging case studies of companies like Stihl, Trader Joe's, Viking Cruises, and The Tractor Supply Company. Don't miss this chance to learn from top strategy expert Professor Michael Roberto!
Dr. Michael Roberto is the Trustee Professor of Management at Bryant University in Smithfield, RI. He joined the tenured faculty at Bryant after serving for six years on the faculty at Harvard Business School. He has also been a Visiting Associate Professor of Management at New York University's Stern School of Business.
His research focuses on decision-making, teamwork, and leadership. He has published three books, the latest of which is titled Unlocking Creativity (Wiley, 2019), Why Great Leaders Don't Take Yes For An Answer (2nd edition published in 2013), and Know What You Don't Know (published in 2009). He also has developed three Great Courses lecture series, the best-selling Everest Leadership and Team Simulation, and the award-winning Columbia's Final Mission multi-media case study about the 2003 space shuttle accident.
Dr. Roberto has taught in leadership development programs and consulted at several firms, including Mars, Deloitte, Google, Target, Apple, FedEx, Disney, Morgan Stanley, IBM, Wal-Mart, Amica, and Textron. He's also presented at numerous government organizations, including the FBI, NASA, Joint Special Operations Command, the Air War College, and West Point.
He received an A.B. with honors from Harvard College in 1991. He earned an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School in 1995, graduating as a George F. Baker Scholar. He also received his doctorate from Harvard Business School in 2000.