If you saw a critical doer, would you recognize it? As we take this journey together in making the jump from critical thinker to critical doer, it’s important that we establish a common baseline of traits of the critical doer. Here is a list of traits that distinguishes someone with a thoughtful idea from someone who has a thoughtful idea and puts it into action.
Traits of a Critical Doer
- Committed to thinking and acting
- Generates motion from “why” more than “what”
- Capitalizes on opportunities to be better
- Keeps risk and failure in context with opportunity and success
- Controls what is theirs to control
- Attacks problems and creates opportunities from the inside out
- Willing to lead
- Understands following
- Works as hard to develop strength of character as strength of talent
- Understands time; long and short view
- Servant spirit
Trust me, I wouldn’t leave you with just a list. The heart of this blog is sharing both academic theory and real life experiences to develop the traits of a critical doer. Your stories of leaders that broke the gridlock of indecisiveness, indifference, and inertia to do great deeds, big or small, will add context and depth.
Thanks as always for following this blog and please start contributing; it’s what a critical doer would…do!
My college classes just picked up yesterday after the winter break and generally the syllabus day is pretty bland with little content that really peaks interest. My 0800 class started the day off in a completely different way. It started off like any other with the requirements that are expected of students and definitions of plagiarism and the consequences of committing such offenses. Then my history professor went into describing how what we learn in this class will benefit us in the long run by describing what traits historians have. He started with saying that they are critical analyzers. I thought wow doesn’t this sound familiar. He went on to explain that employers are looking for people that can approach an issue critically, communicate well, write their communication well, and organize actions. I thought to myself this sounds like plagiarism to me. The way I see it if enough people are preaching this there must be something worthwhile in the words. Sure he didn’t quote verbatim critical thinker or doer. But the concepts are the same. This concept is so important that they are trying to incorporate it into their history department and transfer it to the whole liberal arts college.
For what it is worth. Dad thought this might tie into what you guys were discussing in this blog. Let me know what you think. My perspective as a younger man doesn’t have the experience that many of you on here have but perhaps the words below will peak your interest and speak to you about the way some in the next generation think.
Case
All people do things for specific reasons
Depends on the weather of the seasons
Find a way to connect all of these dots
Doing this you will uncover all the plots
Get to the bottom to understand minds
Think outside the box; take off the blinds
Don’t restrain yourself to what you know
Frame yourself with opportunity to grow
Surround yourself with greater opinions
And not by the naivety of weak minions
Iron will sharpen iron so you must search
For the wisest owl’s highly seated perch
Never assume yourself the most astute
For others will show that you are minute
Focus your search to looking for the facts
Not for the answers that often have cracks
The facts are so simple and truly impartial
Follow the direction that they will marshal
The secret is that everything is connected
Habitually it is not what would be expected
Don’t take the easiest path to find evidence
Pushing aside tempting sources negligence
At the end of the day win this sacred race
To beat the world’s evil and solve the case
Wisdom is defined by perspective, not age. These words are true wisdom and I appreciate you sharing…you are welcome to post any time! Critical Doer
The key to action is deciding where you are isn’t where you want/need to be.
Inspirational. Worth the read.