Thinking

There are so many great quotes on the importance and value of thinking that it is hard to choose just one.  This will likely turn into a series of posts.  I start out with this quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to honor the man and this holiday.

Thinking, real thinking, is hard work (see tomorrow's post).  It engages the brain that functions much like a muscle (this is NOT a scientific assessment!).  When you use it, it strengthens; when you don't, it weakens.  Thinking is a complex exercise.  How many times have you heard someone say (or have you thought yourself) "well, I just don't want to think about it."?  Why?  Because it is not easy.  It takes effort, strength, and dedication to really think something through.

Effective leaders really do need to think.  The higher one goes in leadership, the more complex the problems.  The effective leader must think things through, consider all information, weigh the consequences of each possible decision, and then decide.  Once the decision is made, the thinking is not done.  Then comes the assessment, the evaluation, and the thinking through needed adjustments and revisions.  Thinking needs to be constant.  Further, thinking is a process, not an event!

Dr. King nailed it in his assessment.  Thinking is hard and increasingly rare.  In an age where people are expecting quick, easy answers, leaders must take the time to think, and think hard.