The US Navy fighter pilots were taking significant losses during the Vietnam War. This inspired the creation of the now-famous Top Gun school, which focused extensively on failing and learning from that failure. The Top Gun school taught fighters to act fast in a dangerous environment wit...

Developing adaptive thinking is not improving it. We also need a plan to further foster our adaptive thinking skills.

Regardless of how carefully you plan for things that could go wrong, things will inevitably go wrong.

We have always been told that good thinking is the result of reading books.

Employing the power of adaptive thinking requires work and open-mindedness. The biggest hurdle that will prevent you from having a good response is not allowing your mind to wander.

Plan in advance how you envision a task. For example, if you need to talk with a new client, write down everything you need to become successful. Think about all the details and imagine doing the task in your head.

The best form of planning is having a plan if things fail. But, more importantly, have a backup plan on your backup plan.