Facing rapid advances in technology, economic uncertainty, and political instability, our current challenges require strategic thinking of the highest order.

In my new book, The Six Disciplines of Strategic Thinking, I identify the cognitive skills that are most important for leaders facing these challenges. They are pattern recognition, systems analysis, mental agility, structured problem-solving, visioning, and political savvy.

While it’s important to know what they are, leaders should also know how to cultivate them. For this, regular mental exercise is essential.

Here’s a daily mental fitness routine I developed as the best way to build and strengthen your cognitive abilities. Designed to be efficient to fit leaders’ schedules, activities can be spaced out over the course of a day.