Leadership Role in Group Problem Solving

When one looks to examine what happens in any kind of discussion group, you learn that individual members often act as independent problem solvers. They can influence colleagues with external pushes and pulls or they can choose to function as a participating member of the group, who is adherent to various degrees of unity with others. If the group desires the latter function to be maximized, the concept of what Peter Senge calls a “nerve ring” must be introduced to the group. This, in my opinion, is the function of the group leader. If problem solving is to be achieved, the leader cannot be the focal point, the font of knowledge or the creator of solutions. It is more important that he or she function as a facilitator of information and communicator between all of the group members. He or she integrates the responses received so that a single unified response from the group as a whole evolves.

On Failure

For more than 50 years Jules Feiffer has challenged readers with his razor sharp wit via his skill with cartoons, illustrations, books and plays. In his memoir, Backing Into Forward, he shared his views on failure saying “Success is nothing to sneeze at, but failure, too, offers great possibilities.”

I love that thought. I have been saying for years in my writings, speeches and seminars that you will never really experience the fullness of success unless you first experience the lessons of failure. You and I have been taught through our education, theology, the media and societal norms that failure is bad, it is negative. As a result, we’re given the covert message that if you risk anything, failure will more than likely be a sure outcome. The message don’t take chances, stay on the straight and narrow, color within the lines and be a good girl or boy has kept many of us from failure opportunities that could have changed lives in the most positive ways.

When you think about it, failure is truly at the base of all learning, invention and progress. Isn’t it true that if we don’t know what the wrong way is, we will never discover what the right way is? We need some basis of comparison to know what not to do again; think of the arts, recreation, work, friendships, and relationships–anything that will lead you to a satisfactory life. It is only when you stub your toe, trip, stumble and fall flat on your keester that you really figure out where you went wrong. The timeless sayings, “Get up and get back on the horse” and “dust yourself off and start all over again,” are all about failure and our attitude toward it.

So stop living your life as a flashing yellow light, take one risk a day; it doesn’t have to be a big one. When you do take risks, reflect on how you have grown through the experience. Failure and risk is all about growth and becoming fully human.

Critical Thinking and Decision Making

Leaders are given the day in and day out task of making critical decisions. How do they make them? The best leaders use critical thinking skills. My experience as an observer of good leaders has taught me that they consider the propositions they are handed and make judgments about which way to decide based upon well-supported evidence. What does that mean you might ask? Faced with making judgments or decisions that could have a long term or for that matter short term impact, they first ask themselves what is it they are being asked to support, believe or accept. They ask for recommendations, supporting documents and they scrutinize the reliability, validity and overall credibility of the evidence they have been presented. However, they don’t stop there. They ask for alternative views, distaff perspectives and other ways of interpreting the information given to them. They want to know the reliability, the biases, the credibility of the sources of evidence and furthermore, the person(s) bringing it to them. Finally, they ask for any “other stones” left unturned to be picked up for any last reasonable explanation. It is only then that they make a reasoned thoughtful decision based on the evidence and alternative viewpoints/perspectives presented that will have impact on the greatest good, the common good of the business, organization, community or country they serve as the leader. They don’t allow decisions to be made simply on emotion, or self serving data or evidence that benefits only themselves. There is no doubt critical thinking is hard work. I wonder how hard decision makers are willing to work.
That brings me to the first Tuesday in November. Tomorrow is Election Day. Clearly this mid-term may very well be one of the more important in recent history. How critically have we, you, and I thought, reflected and truly studied the evidence presented to us by those who bring that evidence to us? Do we allow ourselves to make decisions based on hard data; do we listen to alternative points of view? Do we “turn over” all the stones in the mine that today’s political and media driven machines throw at us? I hope so.

Critical Thinking and Decision Making

Leaders are given the day in and day out task of making critical decisions. How do they make them? The best leaders use critical thinking skills. My experience as an observer of good leaders has taught me that they consider the propositions they are handed and make judgments about which way to decide based upon well-supported evidence. What does that mean you might ask? Faced with making judgments or decisions that could have a long term or for that matter short term impact, they first ask themselves what is it they are being asked to support, believe or accept. They ask for recommendations, supporting documents and they scrutinize the reliability, validity and overall credibility of the evidence they have been presented. However, they don’t stop there. They ask for alternative views, distaff perspectives and other ways of interpreting the information given to them. They want to know the reliability, the biases, the credibility of the sources of evidence and furthermore, the person(s) bringing it to them. Finally, they ask for any “other stones” left unturned to be picked up for any last reasonable explanation. It is only then that they make a reasoned thoughtful decision based on the evidence and alternative viewpoints/perspectives presented that will have impact on the greatest good, the common good of the business, organization, community or country they serve as the leader. They don’t allow decisions to be made simply on emotion, or self serving data or evidence that benefits only themselves. There is no doubt critical thinking is hard work. I wonder how hard decision makers are willing to work.
That brings me to the first Tuesday in November. Tomorrow is Election Day. Clearly this mid-term may very well be one of the more important in recent history. How critically have we, you, and I thought, reflected and truly studied the evidence presented to us by those who bring that evidence to us? Do we allow ourselves to make decisions based on hard data; do we listen to alternative points of view? Do we “turn over” all the stones in the mine that today’s political and media driven machines throw at us? I hope so.