One of the hardest habits a leader can have is taking time to think. This is because a leader’s responsibilities and tasks require action and forward movement. Influencers can be so focused with the everyday functions of leading or managing that they overlook the value of thinking.
Dictionary.com defines thinking as to “consider for evaluation or for possible action upon, having a certain thing as the subject of one’s thoughts, forming in the mind in order to know or understand something, and to call something to one’s conscious mind.”
To maximize our leadership potential, results, and production requires initiating and forming the habit of thinking. Author John Maxwell says,
- Poor thinking produces negative progress.
- Average thinking produces no progress.
- Good thinking produces some progress.
- Great thinking produces great progress.
During a conversation you can usually identify if the person you are talking with takes time to think. Those who think have fresh, relevant, and creative ideas and thoughts. They are people who raise us to a new level of thinking and toward positive change. However, you can clearly know if a person does not take time to think. These are people who have a difficult time solving problems, generating innovated ideas, or having fresh and new content. It’s important to remember people are drawn to those who think because of the value they bring to conversations, meetings, teams, and work environment.
The bottom line is that you have to choose to engage and form the habit of thinking no matter how busy your schedule becomes. In Ngina Otiende post “Want a Powerful Life? Own Your Choices” she says, “The truth is, no matter what happens to you, you still have the power to choose. That ability cannot be taken away from you.” No matter how busy we might become we should intentionally chose to separate from the busyness of life and leadership. To find a place to think, clear our minds, and Engage in Thinking. David Schwartz said, “Where success is concerned, people are not measured in inches, or pounds, or college degrees, or family back-ground; they are measured by the size of their thinking.”
Questions: Do you need to re-prioritize your responsibilities and tasks to include more thinking? What are some other characteristics of a thinker?
Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.