The best leaders don't just think harder.
They think differently.

Why do some executives make exceptional decisions in uncertainty while others, despite equal intelligence and experience, stumble?

Harvard Business School Professor Gerald Zaltman spent years interviewing hundreds of successful leaders across industries and nations using ZMET, his pioneering methodology for accessing unconscious thinking. What he discovered challenges everything we assume about decision-making.

The difference isn't what these leaders know. It's how they think.

Exceptional decision-makers tap into their thinking that happens unconsciously. They embrace six mental practices that most leaders overlook:

Serious playfulness – Using constructive mischief to challenge assumptions

Befriending ignorance – Treating what you don't know as a competitive advantage

Asking better questions – Reframing inquiry to unlock deeper insights

Chasing curiosity – Following unexpected paths to breakthrough thinking

Panoramic thinking – Importing ideas from unexpected disciplines

Embracing ambiguity – Moving forward without false clarity

When experience becomes a liability and the pressure for quick answers is seductive, these practices interrupt unproductive habits and unlock psychological richness.

In times like these, the most important question isn't "What should I do?" It's "How am I thinking about what I'm doing?"

Consider using Dare to Think Differently for staff development programs in-house.
Contact us today to learn more!

Where to Buy

"We're in an era where leaders face pressures their experience didn't prepare them for, and the old playbook no longer works. The executives who succeed don't think harder, they think differently. I wrote this book because the real test of intelligence isn't knowledge or decisiveness, it's the ability to make meaning from ambiguity. That skill is learnable."

-Gerald Zaltman

  • "Maslow changed the world by studying self-actualized individuals from afar. And now Zaltman enters the subconscious minds of hundreds of successful executives including himself and finds six consistent ways of using the mind which all of us need to learn if we are to thrive in the challenging world ahead."

    —Bill Harvey, Bill Harvey Consulting

  • "Jerry Zaltman has always been fun to read and now with “Dare to Think Differently” he summarizes not only his recent interviews with successful leaders, but also his own lifetime of Zaltman’s thinking about thinking. At one level, it is a training manual for building skills and avoiding traps that lead to bad decisions. At another level, it is a tour through wonderful paradoxes and dialectical juxtapositions that remind us of the folly of thinking too narrowly, linearly, defensively, or lazily. As ever, Zaltman is playfully up to some constructive mischief that, if taken seriously, can help us overcome some of the biggest problems we face as a species."

    —Scott McDonald, Ph.D President and CEO Advertising Research Foundation.

  • "I loved reading “Dare to Think Differently” – Jerry Zaltman puts a fresh new lens on many constructs that I’ve used throughout my career.  He helps the reader understand how the mind really works.  From the interesting exercises to the case examples, this book made me reflect on my own assumptions about what it means to be open-minded and the impact it can have on our decision making."

    —Clodagh Forde, Senior Director Human Insights – The Coca-Cola Company

  • "Simply brilliant. Zaltman explains innovative techniques for tapping the vast experiences stored in your own unconscious mind and using them for better business and personal decision-making. Thinking techniques like “Befriending Ignorance,” “Serious Playfulness” and “Panoramic Thinking” are simple and practical."

    —Professor Jagdish N. Sheth, Charles Kellstadt Professor of Business, Emory University

  • "This book is fascinating and original. It won’t tell you what to think.  It will tell you why and how your thinking will be more effective if you have the six habits of an open mind.  These habits are learnable with Zaltman’s guiding exercises."

    —Philip Kotler, Northwestern University

  • "Dare to Think Differently is a transformative guide that challenges traditional thinking patterns and encourages readers to embrace uncertainty, engage with ignorance, and enjoy ambiguity as powerful tools for growth. Jerry Zaltman’s insightful exploration of open-mindedness demonstrates how these practices can lead to exceptional decision- making and innovative problem-solving. A must-read for anyone seeking to unlock their full creative potential."

    —Yoshi Fujikawa, Professor, Hitotsubashi ICS

  • “Zaltman provides thought-provoking exercises to help readers access new perspectives.... Business leaders will find this a valuable framework for navigating complex decisions.”

    —Publishers Weekly

For Educators and Academics

Teach the Decision-Making Skills Your Students Actually Need

Dare to Think Differently bridges cognitive science, business strategy, and leadership development, making it ideal for MBA programs, executive education, and undergraduate business courses.

Perfect for courses in:

  • Strategic decision-making

  • Leadership development

  • Organizational behavior

  • Marketing strategy

  • Innovation and entrepreneurship

  • Executive MBA programs

  • Customer/Consumer Behavior

Instructor Resources Available

Gerald Zaltman has developed a comprehensive Instructor’s Manual featuring:

  • Course suggestions

  • Lecture notes and teaching guides

  • Discussion frameworks

  • Assignment ideas

  • Assessment tools

Instructor’s Manual for Dare to Think Differently