A few years ago, I was convinced one of the biggest problems in the World was a lack of critical thinking.
It did not matter what part of the World it was or the demographic or the level of education, people just don’t seem to want to think or ask good questions.
People will naturally take the path of least resistance or rely on some level of instinct or go along with someone whom they think has charisma, yet it still astounds me how critical thinking is so lacking.
I am not proposing to complicate matters or overthink every little decision, for me, it is about slowing down and thinking.
I call this SaT, Slowdown and Think.
More importantly, ask questions.
And two words that I love to use are “what” and “how.”
“What are the assumptions we are making?”
“What else could be true?”
“What else could we be doing with our time and resources?”
“How do these numbers add-up?”
“How will doing this benefit the people?”
“How will we do more with less?”
Good leadership does not mean just accepting what is placed in front of us or listening to the most powerful or loudest voice.
It is about challenging groupthink and/or authority and those with power and influence.
And, if something seems unclear and complicated, don’t be surprised if someone is trying to pass a quick one by you.
Clarity and simplicity are rare and require real critical thinking and planning and open and honest communication.
If people don’t like it when you ask questions, that is another sign they don’t want you to be thinking critically.
That said, be prepared to be asked questions as well.
You don’t have to have all the answers and neither does the other party, yet, neither side should be afraid of questions.
Expect and even invite collaboration and when new information emerges, embrace it, don’t stick to your original position if a pivot is needed.
Good leadership is about assessing the current reality and even re-evaluating or revising decisions if merited.
Thinking critically might seem like thinking slowly yet in the World we live in today, thinking slow might be the way to go.
Leadership is not abut being right all the time, it is about being humble, being wise, being prudent and courageous enough to question that which seems ambiguous or simply BS.