Leaders know that executing major projects can be both thrilling and risky. Whether you’re developing a groundbreaking product, launching a new market strategy, or overseeing large-scale organizational changes, the stakes are enormous—and the margin for error is slim.
Bent Flyvbjerg, a well-known expert on risk, and Dan Gardner, an accomplished journalist, tackle this reality in their fascinating read, How Big Things Get Done. Targeting executives, decision-makers, and project leaders, the book dives deep into the nuances of successful project planning and execution. If you want to make impactful decisions, this book provides the strategies and mindsets to ensure your big ideas translate into exceptional results.
This review explores the key themes from How Big Things Get Done and why it’s essential reading for any leader tackling ambitious projects and driving toward meaningful and measurable outcomes.
Think Slow, Act Fast
Flyvbjerg and Gardner’s favorite mantra, “Think slow, act fast,” encapsulates the book's essence. Successful projects aren’t achieved by rushing into action but by dedicating ample time to thoughtful planning and experimentation. Investing upfront in careful consideration allows organizations to act with precision and speed when the time for execution arrives.
This philosophy challenges the conventional belief that moving quickly at all project stages ensures efficiency. Often, the opposite is true: Poor planning can lead to wasted time and resources, derailed objectives, and disappointing outcomes.
Planning Should Be Active, Not Bureaucratic
One of the book’s most compelling arguments is that planning is an active process, not a passive bureaucratic exercise. It should be dynamic, involving constant experimentation, testing, learning, and iterating.
The authors compare great planning to a scientific pursuit. Just as scientists hypothesize, test, and refine their theories, project planners must adopt a similarly experimental mindset. When something works, hold onto it. When it fails, eliminate it and adapt.
Great plans evolve, incorporate lessons learned, and are designed to adapt to uncertainty. This active, hands-on approach to planning contrasts with bureaucratic routines that remain disconnected from real-world complexities.
Key Takeaway
Great plans aren’t static. They evolve through experimentation and structured iteration.
Experience Is a Strategic Advantage
Another standout insight in How Big Things Get Done revolves around the value of experience. Human genius lies in our ability to learn not only from our mistakes but also from the experiences of others.
The authors emphasize that great plans meticulously apply either direct experience or the collective experience gathered from peers, advisors, and mentors. Exceptional projects, however, combine both forms of knowledge. By leveraging experience, businesses can preempt common pitfalls and significantly increase their chances of success.
For instance, Silicon Valley startups frequently draw on the wisdom of experienced founders to avoid mistakes that commonly plague young companies, from premature scaling to neglecting customer discovery. Similarly, infrastructure planners analyze historical projects to anticipate potential delays or cost overruns.
Key Takeaway
Experience transforms uncertainty into calculated risk—and strengthens decision-making across all levels.
Avoid Cost and Benefit Misestimations
Flyvbjerg and Gardner highlighted a common challenge in big projects: the tendency to underestimate costs and overestimate benefits. From overambitious timelines to unrealistic ROI projections, such miscalculations can doom a project before it begins.
This cognitive bias stems from optimism, which the book acknowledges as necessary for ambitious endeavors. However, unchecked optimism can lead to inflated expectations. The authors recommend integrating objective analysis into the planning process. Organizations can create realistic goals and expectations by stress-testing assumptions and consulting diverse perspectives.
Key Takeaway
A good plan embraces optimism and realism to avoid falling into the cost-benefit miscalculation trap.
Creativity Lives in Planning, Not Delivery
Another eye-opening idea is the place of creativity in the project lifecycle. The authors argue that creativity thrives in the planning phase—not the delivery phase, where disciplined execution reigns supreme.
This doesn’t mean delivery should be without problem-solving. However, creativity—shaping the vision, brainstorming designs, and developing innovative strategies—is fundamental to upfront planning. Once you move to delivery, your focus should shift to rigorous testing, operational consistency, and execution. Mixing these mindsets can lead to inefficiencies and disorganized implementation.
Key Takeaway
Save creative energy for planning. Success comes from creatively imagining solutions and then maintaining discipline during delivery.
Risk Management is Non-Negotiable
One of the book’s major highlights is an astute exploration of risk management. It challenges the misconception that successful risk management means eliminating uncertainty. Instead, Flyvbjerg and Gardner believe it’s about shifting probabilities in your favor and building resilience against unexpected obstacles.
For leaders and executives, effective risk management starts with acknowledging the inevitability of uncertainty. The authors advocate for early identification of potential failure points and preparing mitigation strategies. By "thinking slow" during planning stages, leaders build a strong foundation that can withstand fluctuations while delivering successful outcomes.
Key strategies include scenario analysis, contingency planning, and incorporating diverse viewpoints to anticipate blind spots.
Key Takeaway
Risk management isn’t about controlling fate—it’s about preparing for the unexpected.
Why This Book is Essential for Business Leaders
How Big Things Get Done is a blueprint for ambitious leaders who want to transform their projects from ideation to reality. Whether you're overseeing a multi-department transformation or constructing large-scale infrastructure, the book’s lessons are grounded in real-world applications.
Flyvbjerg and Gardner’s work is steeped in actionable insight, from debunking planning myths to offering tools for rigorous risk management. Most importantly, their message of iterative learning resonates in an increasingly complex, ever-changing world. This book gives leaders the mindset, skills, and strategies they need to successfully execute big projects.
Closing Thoughts
The future belongs to leaders who dare to “Think slow, act fast,” and refine their plans with wisdom, creativity, and strategy. Taking time to think slow means carefully analyzing situations, understanding the bigger picture, and making thoughtful decisions rather than rushing into action. Acting fast, on the other hand, allows you to seize opportunities as they arise and adapt quickly to changing circumstances.
By actively planning for both the short-term and long-term, learning from past experiences to improve future outcomes, and managing risks with clear foresight, you create a solid foundation for success. These practices unlock the potential for remarkable achievements in your organization, helping you stay agile and prepared for whatever challenges or opportunities come your way.