I used to consider strategic thinking the most essential skill for the planning, future-oriented aspects of leadership. (In parallel with the equally-essential skills of emotional intelligence and trust-building, of course!)
I’ve changed my mind.
Critical thinking is more important, especially since one can’t think strategically without first thinking critically.
And here’s the fun part: critical thinking is a life skill, not just a professional skill.
I’ll go so far as to say that if our schools did a better job of teaching critical thinking, this country wouldn’t be facing the challenges it so clearly is. There would be fewer conspiracy theories, more fact-checking, and a whole lot less magical thinking and science skepticism.
There would also be less personal struggle.
I was talking with a colleague the other day about a program he’s developing. In mid-conversation, I realized that, by giving people tools to rationally manage their energy and time instead of spending it on in-the-moment reactivity, he’s teaching critical thinking.
As much as I’ve been a huge champion of critical thinking and the need for us all to learn how to think critically, I’d never considered it from the point of view of personal inquiry and growth. Talk about a Captain Obvious moment!
When we consider why we’re reacting to something, instead of immediately jumping into the deep end of the reaction, we make rational choices that lead to better outcomes – personally, professionally, and, yes, nationally.
Not incidentally, we’re also happier people.
And better leaders.
In short, critical thinking applies across the board, to all aspects of life and career – and as a leader, you’ll enjoy far more success (emphasis on “enjoy”) when you develop and practice the skill.
Notes:
Wikipedia article on critical thinking (kinda dense, but helpful for the definition): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_thinking
A somewhat hefty but just one-sentence definition (from the Wikipedia article): “The goal of critical thinking is to form a judgment through the application of rational, skeptical, and unbiased analyses and evaluation.”
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