Word for the day: “Great leaders take time to think”.
Proverbs 23:7 (NKJV) For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, But his heart is not with you.
Great leaders invest time in thinking and processing their thoughts to help their organizations and themselves thrive:
As a leader, how much time should you spend just thinking? Do you spend any time right now?
If we're not careful, we can spend too much time doing and not enough time thinking about what we're doing and why, and we certainly don't want to get caught in leadership autopilot.
I’m a big advocate of setting aside time to just think. Here are some things to keep in mind:
The best leaders intentionally, purposefully, and strategically put time on their calendar and in major items to accomplish to think. We call it the “Margin” is the leadership language used to distinguish this principle.
The higher up you go in an organization, the more thinking time you need.
Ask yourself, what do I need to think about?
You will not solve the biggest problems you face and the biggest opportunities you want to seize while driving to work or in the shower. Deep thinking is required for all of these and more.
If you’re not doing it, nobody is. So please put it on your calendar and prioritize the time to sit, write, think, and let the ideas flow.
There will always be time to include others in refining those ideas, but you must get alone and quiet to give yourself space to do some deep thinking.
Leadership Vignettes on aspects of thinking:
Critical thinking is a skill that must be developed in leaders, particularly for leaders who might be lacking in this area. Critical thinking allows leaders at every level to evaluate their decision-making and how these decisions ultimately impact results.
What made a leader successful in the past is often not what will make them successful in the future. At each level, a leader must think like a leader at the next level above them to better understand the impact on the systems and people involved in their decisions. As leaders grow within the organization, they become more acutely aware of their priorities, available resources, and how they need to be accountable for their decisions. High-performing leaders tend to be tactical in their approach.
2. Be open-minded and stay curious.
High-performing leaders know they need to think critically through situations and draw on past experiences. However, do not let past experiences be the sole viewpoint from which you make decisions.
Seasoned leaders know that the past is the past for a reason. You can pull valuable data and observations from what worked and what did not work in the past.
3. Leaders ask questions. They know there has been progress in their company — new employees who bring their own diverse experiences, talent, skills, and abilities into the workplace.
New technology can also be incorporated to better manage processes and create new solutions. Success leaves clues.
Today’s insight is to name a few key leadership game changers to add to your playbook.
Special Thanks,
Chief Encouragement Officer (CEO) James Baker, Jr., and our leadership team are incredibly thankful to those aligned with us. Help us equip this generation of leaders for their God-given assignments. Your generous donation supports our labor of love, From Grace and Truth Leadership's mission to embrace, empower, and encourage leaders and emerging leaders globally.