“I AM RIGHT – YOU ARE WRONG!”
We may have heard our bosses say that. But leadership is not like math; there is no absolute right or wrong answer. Being intelligent won’t make one a good leader.
Last week, I was with a small group of friends at Perhentian Island, savouring coffee by the beach while engaging in a conversation about Andalusia, the Islamic golden age. What we can conclude is that leadership requires a combination of knowledge and thinking ability, supported by wisdom that comes from experience, effective communication, emotional stability, and understanding of the law of nature.
What comes with leadership?
Being in power or in a high position doesn’t make one a leader. In leading an organisation, there are people to be dealt with, tough decisions to be made, strategies to be designed and monitored, and plans to be made and implemented. When dealing with people, leaders cannot avoid conflict, bargaining, negotiating, and deal-making. In most cases, there are values to be assessed and trade-offs to be made. All this requires a great deal of thinking, a high degree of operacy (the skill of doing), and effective communication.
Thinking
Edward de Bono, a renowned psychologist, argued that critical thinking (reactive) alone is not sufficient. Leaders must also possess creative and constructive thinking (proactive) abilities. He distinguishes between critical, creative, and constructive thinking as follows:
Critical Thinking
Critical thinking involves analysing and evaluating information objectively to form a judgement or decision. It focuses on logical reasoning, questioning assumptions, and assessing evidence to reach well-founded conclusions. Imagine you are assessing an article on climate change. Critical thinking involves analysing the evidence presented, questioning the credibility of sources, identifying logical fallacies, and assessing the validity of the author’s claims. You might ask questions like, “Are the statistics cited from reliable sources?” or “Does the author provide counterarguments?”
Creative Thinking
Creative thinking involves generating new ideas, perspectives, or solutions. It encourages thinking outside the box, exploring multiple possibilities, and embracing ambiguity. It is about fostering innovation and originality, often by breaking conventional patterns and exploring unconventional approaches. Suppose a team is brainstorming ideas for a marketing campaign. Creative thinking involves generating a wide range of innovative concepts without judgment. Participants might suggest unconventional approaches, explore out-of-the-box ideas, or combine unrelated concepts to spark creativity. The focus is on generating as many diverse ideas as possible, regardless of practicality initially.
Constructive Thinking
Constructive thinking focuses on building and improving upon existing ideas or situations. It involves finding ways to enhance or optimise outcomes, solving problems, and fostering collaboration. Constructive thinking aims to create value and promote progress by actively engaging in problem-solving and decision-making processes. Consider a project team facing a setback in meeting deadlines. Constructive thinking involves collaboratively identifying the root causes of the delay, proposing practical solutions, and implementing action plans to address the issue. Team members actively contribute their insights, leverage each other’s strengths, and work together to improve the project’s progress. The focus is on finding constructive ways to overcome obstacles and achieve the desired outcome.
In a nutshell, critical thinking emphasises analysis and evaluation, while creative thinking focuses on imagination and innovation, and constructive thinking emphasises problem-solving and improvement. These three types of thinking are complementary, and with knowledge and wisdom, leaders can employ them together to tackle complex challenges effectively.
Operacy
Knowledge and thinking won’t move things. They have to be followed by action. Operacy is an important concept introduced by de Bono that emphasizes the importance of action and doing in the thinking process. It focuses on the practical application of thinking skills to achieve desired outcomes or goals. Operacy goes beyond simply having knowledge or understanding; it involves the ability to effectively use one’s knowledge and skills to accomplish tasks, solve problems, and make decisions in real-world situations.
Operacy encourages individuals to not only think critically, creatively, and constructively but also to translate those thoughts into action. It emphasises the practical aspect of thinking by emphasising the importance of applying one’s knowledge and skills to bring about meaningful results or changes.
In the context of education, operacy would involve not just learning theoretical concepts but also applying them to solve problems, complete projects, or create something new. In leadership, leaders must be able to translate their leadership thinking into action to achieve organisational goals and drive positive change. Applying operacy in leadership involves setting clear goals, empowering teams, communicating effectively, leading by example, and fostering adaptability and continuous improvement.
Communication
Communication plays a crucial role by facilitating the exchange of ideas, fostering collaboration, and enhancing the effectiveness of thinking and actions.
Effective communication is essential for critical thinking, as it involves analysing and evaluating information. The clarity of information via clear and concise communication helps in articulating arguments, presenting evidence, and engaging in rational discourse. By communicating their thoughts and reasoning clearly, leaders can facilitate constructive dialogue, challenge assumptions, and arrive at well-informed conclusions.
Communication is also integral to creative thinking, as it enables the sharing and development of new ideas. Through open and inclusive communication channels, individuals can express their creativity, brainstorm innovative solutions, and collaborate with others to refine and expand upon concepts. Effective communication fosters a supportive environment where diverse perspectives can be explored, leading to the emergence of novel and imaginative ideas.
In constructive thinking, communication plays a vital role in problem-solving and decision-making processes. By communicating effectively, leaders can identify challenges, discuss potential solutions, and coordinate efforts to implement action plans. Clear communication helps in clarifying goals, allocating resources, and fostering cooperation among team members, thus facilitating constructive engagement and collective problem-solving.
In summary, communication is a fundamental component of de Bono’s framework as it supports critical analysis, creative ideation, constructive problem-solving, and the practical implementation of thinking and actions. By promoting clear, open, and collaborative communication, leaders can enhance the effectiveness of their thinking processes and achieve greater success in their endeavours.
Conclusion
Edward de Bono’s concept of operacy emphasises the practical application of thinking skills, and effective communication is essential for translating thoughts into action. By communicating goals, strategies, and expectations clearly, leaders can align their actions with organisational objectives and achieve desired outcomes efficiently. In a nutshell, leadership is a journey to learn, unlearn, and relearn. It’s not about my way or the highway.
