Critical Thinking Skills Every Effective Leader Must Develop

Introduction

Critical inquiry in writing requires one to be able to gather, process, and assess ideas and assumptions from multiple angles and perspectives. It requires a high degree of curiosity, as critical thought cannot be engaged without asking questions and seeking as much information from multiple sources as possible to answer those questions. The goal of critical inquiry is to produce well-reasoned arguments that can lead to more questions, answers, and new ways of looking at the world.

This paper discusses the major constructs of critical inquiry. Those constructs are: (1) epistemological virtues, (2) worldview, (3) constructing logical arguments, (4) wisdom, (5) critical reading and writing, and (6) empirical research. It describes how the writer's own understanding of critical inquiry has progressed, as well as the issues and questions this work has inspired. Finally, it offers an example of how critical inquiry can make the writer a more effective leader.

The Constructs of Critical Inquiry

Analyzing the constructs of critical inquiry is a helpful way of understanding the process more fully. Each construct represents an element of critical inquiry that assists the writer in thinking deeply—both about himself and about the information with which he is engaging. The writer must be aware of both the internal and the external: himself as a repository of information and beliefs, and the outside world, which often offers contrasting or conflicting pools of information and ideas.

The virtue of right thinking is what is meant by epistemological virtues (Halpern, 2014). Every individual is susceptible to his own thoughts, beliefs, impulses, prejudices, and ways of engaging with data. If he is in the habit of being fair towards others, his thinking will reflect this; if he is in the habit of being intolerant, inflexible, hasty, and arrogant, these vices will also be reflected in his patterns of thought. In order to be virtuous in one's thinking, one must have intellectual honesty, and that cannot be had unless it exists within one's character (Wood, 1998). This is why Kristjánsson (2014) has stressed the importance of character education rooted in Aristotelianism as the foundation of all true learning.

Worldview refers to the way in which one looks at the world. One is predisposed to have a philosophy of life—a framework that enables one to interpret the facts and findings gathered through one's senses. This is one's worldview (Sire, 2015). One's worldview is important to consider and to discuss in one's writing not only because it assists in bracketing out bias, but also because it informs the reader as to how the writer is engaging with the facts under discussion. The more information the reader has regarding the writer's own framework for analysis, the better able the reader will be to assess the writer's conclusions.

Constructing logical arguments refers to the writer's ability to define a premise, build upon it, and arrive at a conclusion without contradicting himself or relying on assumptions that are unsupported or that invalidate the argument (Bryman, 2012). Arguments should always be logical; that is, the reader should be able to follow one argument to the next, one line of reasoning to the next, without difficulty. If the reader feels taxed by one's arguments, the argument itself will appear weak and fallible, and the writing will suffer as a result. To be persuasive, one must rely upon reason and logic.

Every great transformational leader, for example, understands the importance of being able to explain to followers why a change is necessary in an organization. Using reason and logic to justify change wins more followers over to the leader's side than any other method, because human beings are fundamentally rational and interested in understanding why things are the way they are (Boa, 2007).

Wisdom is the understanding required to see holistically, comprehensively, and truly. It requires the ability to use both inductive and deductive reasoning, and to intuit and infer. There is a spiritual component to wisdom that comes from meditation and contemplation—a quality of recollecting in peace without disturbance, of accepting mystery without rejecting the use of reason or rushing to an impulsive or erroneous conclusion. As Nicolae, Ion, and Nicolae (2013) point out, wisdom should be part of the spirit of leadership.

Critical reading and writing depends upon one's ability to think critically—to be curious about the world, to ask questions, and to gather information from varying sources. It requires setting aside bias and engaging with information in an objective manner, along with a holistic approach to the world. To see things from only one angle is not to be critical but rather to be limited. To read and write critically means to discern shortcomings as well as positives. Critical reading and writing skills also assist in the development of one's own use of language (Swan, 2005).

Empirical research is evidence-based research. It is typically quantitative in that it allows one to represent data statistically; however, qualitative research can also be empirical, though some argue that qualitative research tends to be more subjective than objective and thus less strictly empirical than quantitative research. Empirical research generally begins with a hypothesis that is tested in a trial and then evaluated (Bryman, 2012). Some empirical research may begin with a question only, concluding with a hypothesis based on the evidence acquired. Empirical research builds on previous research; if one study concludes with a new hypothesis, future research can test that hypothesis in a study of its own.

How the Writer's Ideas of Critical Inquiry Have Progressed

The writer's ideas of critical inquiry have progressed in a straightforward manner. At the outset, the writer understood being critical to mean adopting a criticizing posture and pointing out the flaws in the arguments or styles of others. However, as the writer began to understand the process of critical inquiry more fully, he came to see that there is more to it than that. He saw that critical inquiry first and foremost begins with oneself.

To be critical with oneself, one must conduct a thorough examination of one's own views and how one's habits in life affect one's thinking. Reflection is essential. The writer undertook several sessions of reflection that gradually allowed him to see how his own approach to life impacted his ability to engage in critical inquiry. By being resistant to other opinions and relying on preconceived notions out of laziness and self-centeredness, the writer made himself immune to critical inquiry. It was only upon abandoning this wayward approach that the writer began to see more clearly what it means to actually be critical.

The writer came to understand that being critical is not just about identifying the negative qualities of others, but rather about being fair, impartial, and honest—both with himself and with what is being critiqued—and, most importantly, about being curious. A critic who is not curious is no critic at all. To critique something, one must have an interest in the thing being examined, but one must also have an interest in oneself and in the world beyond the thing being critiqued. Because all things are related, this curiosity must exist at the macro level; it is this broad curiosity that allows one to focus on the micro and see how the two interact.

It is also important to understand one's own worldview. As Halpern (2014) states, "If we cannot think intelligently about the myriad of issues that confront us, then we are in danger of having all of the answers, but still not knowing what they mean" (p. 12). The solution to this problem is to know how to learn, which in turn facilitates the process of knowing how to think clearly.

The writer therefore had to learn what it means to learn correctly. In one's schooling, one is often asked to memorize and to learn by rote. This does not assist in critical thinking. Instead of actually engaging with the material, one simply accepts everything blindly with the intention of reproducing it for a test. Afterward, the information is discarded from the mind to make room for new material, and the cycle repeats.

Real learning requires engagement. Active learning is the best approach because it allows one to be challenged and to challenge others in return. It allows one to get involved with information, to ask questions, seek answers, be wrong, search more deeply, and develop an idea. It teaches one to learn by formulating a worldview—a sense of the way things are. To do this, the writer had to engage in character education. He had to formulate his worldview and judge for himself how things stood with the world and why. Rather than simply accepting everything he had been taught, he had to revisit it all and ask whether these things were true—whether they corresponded with reality—or whether he was simply accepting information blindly with no way to validate it in his own experience.

The best practice of critical inquiry the writer has developed is to constantly reassess his worldview in the light of new information, ensuring he is not proceeding from incomplete understanding. New information can change the way one sees the whole by explaining things more deeply. For this writer, being open to change and new ideas is an essential best practice for critical inquiry.

Conclusion

Leadership is something that no one can demonstrate effectively without the ability to engage in critical inquiry. Writing as a scholar assists in the process of developing critical inquiry skills by enabling one to think critically, reflect on one's own perspective and worldview, develop the virtues necessary for honest assessment, construct logical arguments, exercise wisdom, and engage in empirical research. Each of these actions is essential to critical thought, and the capacity for critical thinking strengthens leadership.

Leaders must be able to explain to others why they are taking the path they have chosen. Followers want reasons and answers. If they are being asked to make changes, they want to know why. A leader who cannot provide those answers will not be followed. A leader who lacks information and insight into a situation will be ignored. A leader who engages in critical inquiry and communicates his findings clearly is one who will ultimately win over followers and lead them effectively.

References

Adorno, T. & Horkheimer, M. (2007). The culture industry: Enlightenment as mass deception. Stardom and celebrity: A reader, 34.

Boa, K. (2007). Handbook to leadership. Atlanta, GA: Trinity House Publishers, Inc.

Bryman, A. (2012). Social research methods (5th ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Halpern, D. F. (2014). Thought and knowledge: An introduction to critical thinking (5th ed.). New York, NY: Psychology Press.

Kristjánsson, K. (2014). There is something about Aristotle: The pros and cons of Aristotelianism in contemporary moral education. Journal of Philosophy of Education, 48(1), 48–68.

Nicolae, M., Ion, I., & Nicolae, E. (2013). The research agenda of spiritual leadership: Where do we stand? Review of International Comparative Management, 14(4), 551–566.

Sire, J. (2015). Naming the elephant: Worldview as a concept. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Swan, M. (2005). Practical English usage. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Wood, W. J. (1998). Epistemology: Becoming intellectually virtuous. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.