Every organization needs two key types of thinkers to thrive: strategic thinkers who set the direction and operational thinkers who make the wheels turn. But these aren’t just job descriptions; they are two ends of a mental spectrum. Understanding where you naturally sit on this spectrum can transform your career, your leadership style, and your business outcomes.

In this post, I’ll break down:

• What each thinking style means
• Core skills and responsibilities
• Common job roles associated with each
• A short assessment to know where you fall
• Nigerian examples for local relevance
• How to grow in either direction

What is strategic thinking?

Strategic thinking is about vision, future planning, and long-term impact. It’s the ability to zoom out, see the big picture, connect seemingly unrelated dots, and develop ideas that give an organization a competitive edge.

Strategic thinkers ask:

• What will our industry look like in 5 years?
• What major trends should we be preparing for?
• How can we position ourselves ahead of the curve?

As a landmark Harvard Business Review article puts it, strategic thinkers are those who can “challenge the status quo, envision the future, and inspire others to follow them there.”

Traits of strategic thinkers:

• Systems-level thinking
• Comfort with ambiguity
• Analytical but imaginative
• Long-term orientation
• High curiosity
• Risk-tolerance

Roles that require strategic thinking:

• Founders/CEOs
• Brand Strategists
• Policy Developers
• Innovation Managers
• Marketing Directors
• Education Reformers
• Health System Designers

What is operational thinking?

Operational thinking is about execution, structure, and daily efficiency. It’s the ability to zoom in, focus on details, create processes, and keep everything running smoothly.

Operational thinkers ask:

• How do we execute this strategy?
• How can we do this better, cheaper, or faster?
• What’s broken and how can we fix it right now?

This focus on execution is powerful. A 2017 study by McKinsey & Company on agile organizations found that leaders who combine strong operational skills with team coordination can boost team productivity by up to 25%.

Traits of operational thinkers:

• Detail-oriented
• Strong planners and schedulers
• Practical and realistic
• Process-driven
• Efficiency-focused
• Strong in logistics and delegation

Roles that require operational thinking:

• Project Managers
• Hospital Administrators
• School Principals
• Operations Officers
• Supply Chain Managers
• Customer Support Leads
• Clinic Coordinators

Key differences at a glance

How to know which you are

Ask yourself:

• When faced with a challenge, do I think first about “where this is going” or “what needs to be done now”?
• Do I enjoy brainstorming new ideas more than streamlining existing systems?
• Do I find energy in uncertainty and possibility, or clarity and predictability?

Quick self-check exercise

Scenario one

You join a new company and find the marketing isn’t working. Do you:

• A) Propose a new 12-month repositioning strategy, or
• B) Dive in to fix broken campaigns and missed deadlines?

Your response

• A = Strategic (You’re focused on long-term positioning.)
• B = Operational (You’re focused on immediate fixes.)

Scenario two

You’re managing a school. What excites you more:

• A) Designing a new learning model for Nigerian students, or
• B) Ensuring teachers meet performance targets monthly?

Your response

• A = Strategic (This is about vision and system design.)
• B = Operational (This is about process and daily execution.)

Scenario three

You’re running a health startup. Would you rather:

• A) Secure partnerships that scale your service across states, or
• B) Refine the onboarding and service delivery process?

Your response

• A = Strategic (This is about high-level growth and positioning.)
• B = Operational (This is about efficiency and quality control.)

Mostly A? You lean strategic.

Mostly B? You lean operational.

A mix? You’re a hybrid thinker, a rare and valuable combination.

Real-world examples in Nigeria

In the Nigerian context, this mental split shows up clearly.

1. A State Commissioner for Education needs strategic thinking to reform the curriculum, but must also rely on operational thinkers (like school heads and zonal coordinators) to execute the plan.
2. An FMCG founder in Nigeria may envision expanding across West Africa (strategic), but they need logistics managers who can ensure products move from Aba to Abuja reliably (operational).
3. A dental clinic owner in Lagos may dream of being the leading oral care brand in the city, but without efficient appointment systems, inventory checks, and trained staff (operational), that dream collapses.

In Nigeria’s business landscape, where infrastructure challenges are real, strong operational thinking is often critical for survival. But without strategic direction, growth eventually stagnates.

How to build both muscles

While you may have a natural default, thinking styles are muscles, not fixed traits. You can intentionally develop your less dominant side.

To grow strategically: If you’re an operational thinker, immerse yourself in the ‘why.’ Join quarterly planning meetings, read industry trend reports, or ask your leaders about the long-term vision behind your daily tasks.

To grow operationally: If you’re a strategic thinker, get your hands dirty with execution. Shadow an operations lead for a week, manage a short project using a tool like Trello or Asana, or volunteer to create a process document for a recurring team task.

This need for mental flexibility is essential. In its 2023 Future of Jobs Report, the World Economic Forum identified creative thinking and analytical thinking as the two most critical skills. This aligns perfectly with our discussion: creative thinking fuels the vision of the strategist, while analytical thinking sharpens the efficiency of the operator. To be truly effective, you need both.

Whether you’re naturally strategic or operational, knowing how to move across the spectrum is part of what separates an average contributor from a high-value one.

In our 10x Employee, we explain how top talent goes beyond just “doing their job,” they connect the dots, take ownership, and add value across functions.

Becoming aware of your thinking style is one way to begin the climb.

Strategic and operational thinking aren’t opposing forces. They’re two sides of the same coin, and organizations that succeed in Nigeria and beyond have a healthy balance of both.

As an individual, knowing your natural leaning helps you:

• Choose a career or leadership path that matches your strengths.
• Partner with people who complement your weaknesses.
• Improve how you solve problems and communicate in teams.

The goal isn’t to fit perfectly into one box, but to know your default setting so you can consciously dial the other one up when the situation demands it.