How Successful People Think

General Electric CEO Jack Welch regularly tells his employees that existing relationships with clients are more important than individual sales. Why? Because he knows that, when it comes to being successful in the long run, it’s sometimes necessary to leave the nitty-gritty behind for a moment and consider the bigger picture.

But how can you start cultivating big picture thinking? By making sure you’re always learning.

Big picture thinkers are always looking for opportunities to learn. They’re constantly on the go, visiting new places, meeting new people and honing new skills.

The author has a handy technique that puts him in the right mindset to do that: he starts his day by looking at his schedule and asking himself what learning opportunities are likely to present themselves.

Once he’s noted down the activities that are most likely to teach him something, he mentally primes himself to be on high alert. That means he’s much more likely to be receptive to what’s going on around him.

So when he once had dinner with National Football League (NFL) coach Dave Wannstedt, for instance, he was well prepared. He used the time to ask him all sorts of questions about teamwork and left the restaurant brimming with new insights.

That’s something you can take up too: spend a couple of minutes each morning looking over your itinerary and ask yourself what opportunities to learn new things you’re likely to encounter.

Making an effort to become a big picture thinker is important because it gives you a window into how other people see the world. In other words, it makes you more empathetic.

And that’s good for your relationships: whether it’s your clients, husband or wife, children or friends, empathizing with those around you will help you understand what they want and need.

Seeing the big picture ultimately helps you think beyond your own narrow interests and take those of others into account.