Executives, Decision-Makers, and Colleagues,
Today’s leadership hinges on a vital skill that often doesn’t get the attention it deserves: critical thinking. It’s not taught enough, and the consequences show everywhere, in poor decisions and unsolved problems.
To solve the real problems, I want to share what critical thinking really takes:
1. Tenacity Is Non-Negotiable
You must be willing to go, as they say, to the end of the earth to solve a problem. Without this persistence, no solution will emerge.
2. Redefine and Reframe Problems Constantly
The problem is often solved if you define and redefine it correctly. Most people don’t take the time to do this. You must be relentless in reframing the problem as new information and contexts emerge.
3. Understand and Own the Context
You will never solve a problem without knowing the context. Saying “context” is easy, but you must clearly define the context and stay focused on it. Problems shift as context shifts; your thinking must shift too.
4. Find the Highest Leverage Causes
The critical part is to find those items that have the highest leverage in causing the problem. If you don’t dig into the causes, you’re wasting your time. Identify which causes matter most.
5. Apply Mental Agility to Combine Solutions
It’s seldom one solution alone that works. Critical thinking is about the mental agility to find the unique combination of solutions that fit your problem. Numbers help, but qualitative logic is essential.
6. Anticipate Reactions and Risks
No critical thinking happens without assessing what the reactions will be and what risks are involved. You must foresee the consequences before you act.
What I Learned
Let me share from experience. When I worked with Jack Welch, he would often listen for two hours straight, helping to shape and refine ideas without rushing to conclusions. Sometimes, he would not even let me write anything down. He would take the pen himself, reshape the thinking, and then say, “I’m not going to use this yet. Keep developing it.”
That combination of humility and tenacity, willingness to keep searching, probing, and never assuming the thinking is done, is the true heart of critical thinking.
Without critical thinking, leadership is guesswork. If you want to lead, start here. Make it a habit to question assumptions, dig deeper, and stay persistent. Your leadership depends on it.
