Skip to content

Strategic Thinking and Business Acumen for Managers

Many capable managers get stuck in day to day firefighting and never lift their eyes to the bigger picture. This course develops the strategic thinking and commercial understanding that allow managers to connect their work to the wider goals of the organisation. Participants learn to read the business environment, understand how their company makes money, and make choices that create value.

What you will be able to do

  • Distinguish strategic thinking from operational and tactical work.
  • Interpret the market, competitor and customer forces shaping the business.
  • Understand how your organisation creates and captures value.
  • Connect team activities to broader organisational strategy.
  • Apply simple frameworks to analyse business situations and options.
  • Make resource and priority decisions with a commercial mindset.

Course outline

  1. 01From Operational to Strategic Thinking
  2. 02Reading the Business Environment
  3. 03How Your Organisation Makes Money
  4. 04Value Creation and Competitive Advantage
  5. 05Frameworks for Business Analysis
  6. 06Linking Team Work to Strategy
  7. 07Commercial Decision Making
  8. 08Developing Your Strategic Perspective

Who should attend

This course suits middle managers, functional heads and high potential specialists who want to think and contribute more strategically.

Dates, venues and fees

DatesVenueDaysFeeCalendar
17 to 19 Aug 2026Durban3R13,000
24 to 26 Aug 2026Johannesburg3R13,000
7 to 9 Sep 2026Mauritius3US$1,500
14 to 16 Sep 2026Dubai3US$1,500
21 to 23 Sep 2026Lagos3US$1,500
28 to 30 Sep 2026Harare3US$1,500
5 to 7 Oct 2026Kampala3US$1,500
12 to 14 Oct 2026Dar es Salaam3US$1,500
19 to 21 Oct 2026Pretoria3R13,000
26 to 28 Oct 2026Cape Town3R13,000
9 to 11 Nov 2026Online3US$900
16 to 18 Nov 2026Mozambique3US$1,500
23 to 25 Nov 2026Cairo3US$1,500
30 Nov to 2 Dec 2026Accra3US$1,500
7 to 9 Dec 2026Lusaka3US$1,500
14 to 16 Dec 2026Kigali3US$1,500
21 to 23 Dec 2026Nairobi3US$1,500

Fees are per delegate. South African venues are priced in rand; other locations and online in US dollars. Fees exclude 15% VAT where applicable. Group bookings of three or more delegates from the same organisation qualify for a reduced rate; contact us for a quotation.

Related courses in Leadership and Management

Leadership and Management

Strategic Leadership and Executive Decision Making

Senior leaders rarely fail for lack of intelligence; they fail by deciding slowly, deciding alone, or deciding on yesterday's assumptions...

Next session
7 to 11 Sep 2026
Venue
Online
5 day programme
FromUS$900
Leadership and Management

Advanced Supervisory Skills for First Line Managers

Supervisors are promoted for technical strength and then judged on people skills nobody taught them. Planning, delegation, conflict...

Next session
31 Aug to 4 Sep 2026
Venue
Dar es Salaam
5 day programme
FromUS$900
Leadership and Management

Change Management and Organisational Transformation

Restructures, new systems and mergers usually fail on the people side rather than the technical one. Managers work through a method for...

Next session
31 Aug to 2 Sep 2026
Venue
Lagos
3 day programme
FromUS$900
See all Leadership and Management courses