Most managerial decisions are made by examining the pros and cons of the presumed alternatives, then eliminating all but one. Conventional thinkers focus only on obviously relevant features, break problems into pieces and work on them separately, and settle for what they perceive to be the best available options.

But truly successful leaders try not to make “either-or” decisions. By seeking factors that are not immediately obvious, considering nonlinear relationships among variables, and seeing the problem as a whole, they are able to resolve tensions among opposing ideas and generate innovative outcomes.

Drawing on stories of leaders as diverse as A. G. Lafley of Procter & Gamble and Bob Young of Red Hat Software, Martin shows how, by refusing to accept unpleasant trade-offs and conventional options, integrative thinkers are able to find creative solutions to seemingly intractable problems.

But is integrative thinking a talent reserved for a fortunate few? Martin believes it is a “habit of thought” that all of us can consciously develop to arrive at solutions that would otherwise not be evident.

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