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Every decision you make as a leader begins long before you speak. It begins with how you think. The questions you ask. The assumptions you make. The stories you tell yourself. The possibilities you see 鈥� or don鈥檛 see.

I know 鈥渢hinking about how you think鈥� is very meta, but how you think affects how you lead. It shapes what you believe and the reality you create. It even impacts your capacity for resiliency!

I want to know how my clients think about solving a problem, building relationships, and becoming even better leaders. Their thinking process gives me insights into their belief systems, emotional states, and what they see as possible for themselves, their teams, and their organizations. How they think sets the tone.

According to the World Economic Forum, core skills that are on the rise moving toward 2030 include analytical thinking,聽AI and big data, creative thinking, resilience, technological literacy, and lifelong learning. These skills reflect the increasing requirement for people to lead, innovate, and pivot in a changing work environment. (Source: Future of Jobs Report 2025 on EconomicsInsider.com.)

I often get asked if the skills of creativity, curiosity, resiliency, and critical thinking can be learned 鈥� or if they are simply inherent in some people鈥檚 DNA. While it鈥檚 true that these vital skills may come more naturally to some than others, they absolutely can be developed with intentionality, feedback, and practice! I believe choosing to be diligent in how we think and how we show up is an act of commitment to lifelong learning.

Critical thinking is the ability to pause, evaluate the facts, challenge assumptions, and make thoughtful decisions rather than simply reacting.

In today鈥檚 workplace, it鈥檚 hard not to value speed over reflection. Pausing 鈥� even to think critically 鈥� can feel like a luxury. Yet, critical thinking helps leaders solve problems more effectively, navigate ambiguity with more confidence, reduce costly mistakes, and make decisions that align with organizational goals instead of short-term emotions or habits.

In the 鈥淏oth/And鈥� newsletter from Your Tech Ally, Sean Dagony-Clark asks his readers, 鈥淎re you letting AI think for you?鈥� He invites us to use AI as an assistant, an editor, and a brainstorming partner but cautions us about abdicating our decision-making and critical thinking responsibilities. His mantra: 鈥淎I can generate, but a human should elevate.鈥�

AI is a resource, not a replacement for the humanness of thinking, learning, or leading! AI can generate options. Leaders still need discernment and the ability to find and use their own true voice. That kind of authenticity is a trust builder!

At its heart, critical thinking is disciplined curiosity. It鈥檚 the practice of slowing down long enough to ask better questions, examining multiple perspectives, and understanding the root cause of a problem before acting. It also helps us become more aware of ourselves, others, and the broader system in which we are operating 鈥� and that awareness can put you in the driver鈥檚 seat!

Critical thinking transforms reactive workplaces into intentional ones by improving decision-making, strengthening collaboration, reducing risk, and helping teams adapt confidently to change. You can start by replacing assumptions with inquiry.

Consider these examples:

1. A department manager notices production delays. One leader concludes, 鈥淧eople just aren鈥檛 accountable.鈥� Another asks, 鈥淲hat changed in the workflow? What are we assuming? What obstacles are people facing?鈥�
   2. Someone sends an email that feels abrupt. A reactive thinker assumes disrespect. A critical thinker becomes curious and even empathetic (鈥淚 wonder what鈥檚 really going on here鈥�) before becoming certain.

Critical thinking isn鈥檛 about being disagreeable or argumentative, or defending a position. It鈥檚 being willing to explore thinking patterns and rationales in a collaborative manner and in a way that best serves the organization.

You don鈥檛 have to have all the answers 鈥� but you do have to bring some courage and desire to explore the pitfalls and possibilities. Leaders navigate uncertainty and mitigate risk every single day. Bringing curiosity to your interactions will give you better data, while fostering respectful and trustworthy relationships.

I connect critical thinking to having agency 鈥� an essential ingredient of organizational resilience. A hallmark of someone who truly owns their role is that they don鈥檛 simply accept the status quo or wait for answers.

Before making your next important decision, ask:

• What assumptions am I making? What evidence do I have?
• What perspective am I missing?
• What鈥檚 really driving this issue?
• What blind spots and biases are clouding my vision?
• What might I be taking personally?
• What outcome are we trying to achieve? What problem are we aiming to solve?
• What part of this belongs to me?

Owning your role isn鈥檛 about being self-centered or being the hero. It鈥檚 about becoming the kind of person others can rely on because you consistently bring initiative, accountability and generosity, and you follow through.

Critical thinking isn鈥檛 just a cognitive skill. It鈥檚 a leadership habit that turns personal agency into wise action. When we own our roles, we don鈥檛 just own our tasks. We own the quality of our thinking, the impact of our decisions, and the experience we create for the people around us.

When you can hold your values firmly and your thinking freely, you become a powerful steward of your organization鈥檚 culture.

Drive the experience

For one week, replace one complaint every day with one contribution. Instead of saying 鈥淪omeone should 鈥�,鈥� ask 鈥淲hat can I do?鈥� Instead of saying 鈥淭hey need to 鈥�,鈥� ask 鈥淗ow can I help move this forward?鈥� You’ll be surprised how quickly your influence grows.

Organizations become healthier when individuals become more intentional.

We don鈥檛 always control our circumstances, but we do have tremendous influence over the quality of our thinking. And the quality of our thinking ultimately shapes the quality of our leadership.

How you think matters!

Karen Natzel is a business therapist who helps leaders create healthy, vibrant, and high-performing organizations. To share ideas about topics you鈥檇 like to see explored in future columns, contact her at 503-806-4361 or [email protected].

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed in the preceding commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Daily Journal of Commerce or its editors. Neither the author nor the 91视频 guarantees the accuracy or completeness of any information published herein.