Upstream Thinking: Seizing Opportunity while Managing Risk
Seizing Opportunity while Managing Risk.
Upstream Thinking Masterclass: Prevent Problems, Shape Opportunities, and Lead Ahead of the Curve
What feels better: rescuing a situation from inevitable disaster or preventing the situation from happening in the first place?
Yep, the first one feels better, so most leaders are more comfortable taking downstream action (after the problem occurred) than the upstream action to avert it.
I’ve been there, taking pride in my ability to swoop in, solve the problem, and pat myself on the back. Crisis management almost feels heroic.
I learned, however, that it’s a losing proposition. Even the best outcomes from a crisis entail substantial opportunity costs.
It’s better to get on top of the wave instead of letting it crash over you.
In a survey by PwC, 76% of CEOs cited market volatility as their top concern, with many feeling unprepared to seize fleeting opportunities or mitigate chronic risks.
Placing yourself and your company in an unbeatable position reduces the probability of a crisis and increases your ability to seize opportunities. Fire prevention beats fire-fighting.
Upstream (anticipatory) thinking is a vital habit for shaping the future.
Most leaders have intuitive ways to think ahead and prevent problems, but you cannot teach, assess, or improve an intuitive process. You need to turn your intuition into explicit genius.
This high-impact masterclass equips CEOs and senior leaders to anticipate risks, shape opportunities, and drive proactive performance across your organization.
You’ll gain powerful visual models to Shape and Exploit Opportunities and Manage Risk. We’ll walk through Pre-Mortems, a tool that surfaces hidden risks before major initiatives.
You’ll also implement a Signal Amplification System, turning frontline whispers into disciplined foresight.
Whether you’re scaling, transforming, or safeguarding what you’ve built, this masterclass will help you replace “Why didn’t we see this coming?” with “We were ready.”
You’ll leave with simple, repeatable frameworks that align your executive team and move your business from reactive to ready.
Lead upstream—and stay ahead.