Developing effective leadership requires a diverse range of cognitive approaches, including critical thinking, creative thinking, strategic thinking, and emotional thinking. By practicing and teaching these four types of thinking, leaders can make informed decisions, drive growth, build strong relationships, and achieve their long-term goals.
The 4 Types of Thinking Leaders Need to Practice—and Teach
When we say a person, team, or company has added value, we usually mean that they’ve gone above and beyond what was asked or expected of them. For example, imagine your manager asks you to source three vendors who can deliver a needed service. You provide a list of three vendors, their respective pros and cons, and a potential solution where you can solve for the needed service in-house instead.
Thinking Critically
Critical thinking is essential for leaders to make informed decisions. It involves analyzing information objectively, considering multiple perspectives, and evaluating evidence to form a well-supported conclusion. When faced with complex problems, critical thinkers can break them down into manageable parts, identify key issues, and develop effective solutions.
Thinking Creatively
Creative thinking enables leaders to generate innovative ideas and approaches that drive growth and improvement. It involves being open-minded, curious, and willing to take calculated risks. By combining seemingly unrelated concepts or challenging assumptions, creative thinkers can develop novel solutions to complex problems.
Creative thinking is a cognitive process that involves generating new and original ideas, solutions, or products.
It requires a combination of imagination, curiosity, and critical thinking skills.
Research shows that creative thinking can be developed through practice, training, and experience.
Studies have found that individuals who engage in creative activities regularly show improved problem-solving skills, enhanced innovation, and increased job satisfaction.
Additionally, creativity has been linked to better mental health outcomes, including reduced stress and anxiety.
Thinking Strategically
Strategic thinking is critical for leaders who want to achieve their long-term goals. It involves analyzing the organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT analysis) to identify areas of improvement and capitalize on emerging trends. Strategic thinkers can create a clear vision, develop effective plans, and allocate resources efficiently.
Strategic thinking is a cognitive process that involves analyzing complex situations, identifying patterns and relationships, and developing effective plans to achieve desired outcomes.
It requires critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills.
Strategic thinkers can anticipate and adapt to changing circumstances, making informed decisions that balance short-term needs with long-term goals.
Research shows that companies that prioritize strategic thinking outperform those that do not, with a 20% increase in revenue growth.
Effective strategic thinkers use tools like SWOT analysis, 'scenario planning' , and 'decision trees' to inform their decisions.
Thinking Emotionally
Emotional thinking is essential for leaders who want to build strong relationships with their team members and stakeholders. It involves being aware of one’s own emotions and those of others, empathizing with different perspectives, and managing conflicts effectively. By developing emotional intelligence, leaders can create a positive work culture, foster collaboration, and drive engagement.
Emotional thinking refers to the process of making decisions and judgments based on emotions rather than logical reasoning.
This type of thinking is often intuitive and relies on personal experiences, values, and feelings.
Research suggests that emotional thinking can be influenced by various factors, including culture, upbringing, and life experiences.
Studies have shown that individuals who engage in emotional thinking tend to make more impulsive decisions and may be less rational in their decision-making processes.
Heidi Grant is a social psychologist who researches, writes, and speaks about the science of motivation. Her books include “Reinforcements: How to Get People to Help You”, “Nine Things Successful People Do Differently”, and “No One Understands You and What to Do About It”. She is EY US Director of Learning R&D.
Shawn McCann is a senior researcher on the EY U.S. Behavioral Science and Insights team and Professor of Professional Military Education at the University of Cumbria, UK.
