Are you an exponential thinker, or an incremental thinker? Is one better than the other? Let’s start by defining what exponential thinking and incremental thinking are.

Exponential thinking focuses on innovation, breakthroughs, and disruptive change, while incremental thinking emphasizes gradual improvement, iteration, and a step-by-step approach to progress. When considering the processes needed to build and implement strategic planning, it goes without saying that having people with both types of thinking is a must. When leading such an endeavor and collaborating with exponential and incremental thinkers, it’s important to know when to inject or withdraw each type of thinking in order to achieve the best possible results. Funny enough, this gets me thinking about the first few chorus lines of the great Kenny Rogers song The Gambler:

🎼 You’ve got to know when to hold ’em. Know when to fold ’em.

Know when to walk away. Know when to run 🎼

Kenny Rogers

Different implementation stages require different ways of thinking. For example, when looking for innovative ideas to motivate the organization and to maximize the buy-in factor to the vision and the plan, we need to lean on our exponential thinkers. Those think-outside-the-box people who have an innate ability to come up with unique and sometimes crazy ways of doing things and of connecting with people. Whenever we need to do things different, to shake things up, or to brainstorm a potential new direction for the organization, we shout: “Release the exponential thinkers!“.

However, as much as we need them to boldly take us where no one has gone before, there are risks and challenges associated with exponential thinking, such as uncertainty and failure, which can quickly derail any well-thought-out plan.

Insert our incremental thinkers, capable of bringing order to what can be a little chaotic. They are the planners, the mappers, the ones that can see ahead of time barriers that are invisible to others, and plan ways around them. They provide us peace of mind and order. But just like exponential thinking, incremental thinking can have its challenges as well, such as missed opportunities for innovation.

Everyone on a team has a role to play. How well they play that role comes down to how well they know their strengths and when to apply them. Strive to grow and be the very best version of yourself. Bring your “A” game each and every time – your team is counting on you!

A leader has to know which people to have at the table at the right time: do I need exponential thinkers or incremental thinkers? And once at the table, when we bring our best and invest ourselves fully in the cause, that is when the magic happens, and we can collectively bring the organization to new heights.