Actions speak louder than words…ever heard that before? I bet you’ve been even more frustrated in a time when action was required, at home or work, but the thinking never transformed into meaningful action that solved or prevented a problem…or better yet, created an opportunity.
Don’t get me wrong, critical thinking is important; in fact, I’ve referred to it many times as “the mother of all weapons.” The web site Crticalthinking.org outlines the attributes of critical thinking as self-guided, removes personal and environmental biases, and involves reconstructing a problem through analysis for a higher level of understanding.
Here is the dilemma; is critical thinking alone enough? In the physical world, potential energy has great promise to generate power for work, but only when it becomes kinetic energy is there a realized benefit. The same holds true with critical thinking. At some point if the greatest thinking of all time is not followed with corresponding action, it is as if the thinking never existed.
The critical doer is that rare person with the capacity to think and act critically. The person who makes the jump from thinking to acting has a particular set of mental skills and character attributes. These skills resident in a single person result in a leader with vision to chart an organization’s path to prosperity and the courage to do the deeds that add value and bring fulfillment to those who do them.
I’d like for you to join me regularly in this blog as I share my experiences and the things I’ve learned over nearly 3 decades about leading change through thinking and doing. This endeavor has become my passion and I’d like to share with you as well as hear your stories that I hope you’ll contribute to this blog.