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How leaders can improve
their thinking agility
a new generation of leaders with this
ability is keeping a majority of the
world’s CEOs up at night.
Jesse Sostrin
director at PwC’s U.S.
Leadership Coaching Center
of Excellence
Leaders operate with near-constant
deficits of time, energy, resources,
and focus, which keeps them locked
in a perpetual state of catch-up. This
reality erodes quality contemplation.
Although there are strategies to
help you react to the urgencies of
the day without sacrificing time to
reflect, the value and impact of your
thoughts are not simply a measure
of minutes. Rather, they can be
measured by the thinking agility
you apply to changing priorities and
circumstances.
More specifically, your capacity
to reflect dynamically amid the
constantly shifting work landscape
is what counts most. The strongest
lever you, as a leader, have over how
you manage your people, projects,
and priorities is your own thinking.
Yet worry about being able to equip
74
world monitor
In PwC’s most recent CEO survey,
more than three-quarters (77
percent) said that they were either
somewhat concerned or extremely
concerned about a lack of key skills.
When asked to assess the most
elusive talents, CEOs identified a
raft of thinking skills: adaptability,
problem-solving, creativity, and
innovation.
Leaders, you can increase your
thinking agility — and develop
these related competencies — by
leveraging the following three
strategies.
Know your thinking sweet
spot. The first step is to develop
greater awareness of your thinking
tendencies. The reference point I use
is Herrmann International’s Whole
Brain model. The framework includes
four distinct thinking domains:
analytical, practical, relational, and
experimental.
Analytical thinkers are logical,
realistic, and numbers-driven.
Practical thinkers are organized,
task-driven, and focused on
operational plans. Relational thinkers
are expressive, engaging, and
sensitive to others. And experimental
thinkers imagine what’s possible,
challenge the status quo, and
leverage their curiosity to spur
original, divergent ideas.
Your capacity
to reflect
dynamically
amid the shifting
landscape is what
counts most
Every individual displays a unique
mix of these, expressing some more
dominantly than others. And the
way an individual navigates his or
her daily work — communicating,
building relationships, solving
problems, and making decisions —
reflects the strengths or limitations
of his or her thinking in the four
dimensions.
So, which of these four dimensions
dominates your mind-set? When
you’re faced with a difficult problem
or decision, which domain(s) do you
rely on most to resolve it?
If you instinctively dive into the
numbers, scrutinize the details,
and let logical facts influence your
decisions, you’re strong in analytical
thinking. If you default to your
project plan and focus on getting
the job done, your sweet spot lies
in practical thinking. If you naturally
engage in conversation to explore
others’ thoughts and ideas and
pursue trusted, personal connections
to get great work done, you’re
relational. Or, if you ask why not,
intentionally step back to look at
a bigger picture, and seek flexible