The invasion of Gaza by Israel in response to the Hamas massacre of Israelis October 7th happened half a world away and was not a result of any action taken by President Biden, but it has disrupted his presidency and there are lessons to learn:
- A 360 degree strategic manager has to “game out” big events to identify risks before they become become problems or even crises.
- President Biden could not control the narrative because he could not control events on the ground as his supporters quickly divided on the issue.
- President Biden faced a choice between supporting Israeli security needs or avoiding a humanitarian disaster in Gaza. There is no apparent “win-win” or “lose-win” option as either choice presents risks.
External events can quickly derail your plans and force you to act. They present one of the greatest challenges for a strategic manager because of your lack of direct control of events on the ground. This is one of the case studies we use in our training.