How Critical Thinking Supercharges Your Leadership Skills

Cathie Leimbach • September 19, 2023

If you want to up your leadership game, it’s time to embrace critical thinking. Why? Because it enables you to make informed decisions, solve complex problems, and navigate uncertain situations with relative ease.


In today’s fast-paced and ever-changing world, leaders face numerous challenges daily. Critical thinking allows leaders to analyze and evaluate information objectively. It enables them to consider multiple perspectives, uncover hidden biases, and identify logical fallacies. It also helps them think outside the box and explore new possibilities.


Developing critical thinking skills takes consistent practice. One of the first steps is to constantly seek out new knowledge and information. This can be done through reading books, attending seminars, or engaging in meaningful conversations with experts in your field.


Another effective strategy is to regularly challenge yourself by asking thought-provoking questions. Don’t just accept things at face value. Dig deeper and explore different perspectives. This will expand your thinking and enhance your problem-solving abilities.


Also, seek out mentors or join networking groups where you can engage in stimulating discussions and learn from others.

Here are two strategies you can utilize to independently strengthen your ability to dig deeper and consider other people’s perspectives.


An effective way to dig deeper is to use the “Five Whys” technique. Whenever you encounter a problem or a decision, ask yourself why it is the way it is or why you are considering this decision. Once you answer that question, ask why again. Keep asking yourself why until you have dug deeper 5 times. This helps you uncover root causes and explore different angles.


Another helpful exercise is the “Red Team” approach. Put yourself in the shoes of an adversary looking to critique and challenge your ideas or plans. What concerns would they raise? This technique helps you identify weaknesses and biases in your thinking and find ways to strengthen your reasoning and your plans.


In summary, developing your critical thinking skills will help you make good decisions by gathering diverse input, viewing feedback as a valuable gift, and thinking outside the box.



What is one thing you have done in the past week to strengthen your critical thinking skills? What is one other way you could strengthen your critical thinking this week?

 

Maximize Your Day: Start the Night Before

By Cathie Leimbach • October 21, 2025
Want to boost your performance? According to James Hewitt, author of Regenerative Performance , a truly high-performance day doesn't begin when your alarm goes off—it starts the night before. Hewitt shows that rest isn't a reward you earn after a busy day; it's a vital part of your work strategy. Think of sleep as a required meeting for your brain and body to repair and prepare. Without proper rest, you can't show up as your best self, and the consequences are serious. Here’s a startling fact from research: Staying awake for 17 to 19 hours straight can impair your performance as much as having a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.05% . While the legal limit for driving in the U.S. is 0.08% BAC, many countries consider 0.05% to be legally impaired. After 24 hours of wakefulness, impairment is similar to having a 0.10% BAC, which is well over the legal limit. This level of fatigue slows your reaction time by up to 50%! To avoid this dangerous drop in performance, Hewitt offers a few top tips for better sleep: Create a Buffer: Spend the hour before bed winding down. Avoid work, stressful news, and intense exercise. Manage Your Light: Dim the lights and stop using electronic screens about 30 minutes before sleep. Be Consistent: Go to bed and wake up around the same time every day. By making sleep a priority, you're not just resting; you're actively preparing for success with a sharp, clear, and high-performing mind. View Maximize Your Day to see exactly how fatigue affects your performance!

Boost Your Focus with Cognitive Gears

By Cathie Leimbach • October 14, 2025
In his book, Regenerative Performance, author James Hewitt suggests thinking about your brainpower using the idea of cognitive gears. This simple idea can help you manage your energy and get more done without burning out. Just like a car, your mind has different gears: high, middle, and low. Learning to switch between them is key to working smarter. Understanding the Gears The high gear is for your toughest, most important work—the stuff that needs all your focus, like solving a hard problem or writing a detailed report. Use this gear when you have lots of energy and can block out all distractions. It's powerful, but you can’t stay in it for long; it drains your energy quickly.  The middle gear is your everyday speed. Think of it as "autopilot" for tasks that need less intense focus, such as checking emails, attending routine meetings, or working on familiar projects. You can stay in this gear for longer stretches, and it's where most of your day-to-day work happens. The low gear is for recovery and maintenance. This isn't about working at all! It's about taking breaks, moving your body, and doing activities that let your mind rest, like going for a walk or chatting with a co-worker. Using the low gear helps you recharge so you can shift back into middle or high gear when you need to. Drive Your Day Smarter The secret to regenerative performance is to be mindful of which gear you're in. Don’t try to do high-gear work all day. Schedule short, focused bursts in high gear, then shift to middle gear for less demanding tasks, and always make time for the low gear breaks. By consciously managing your cognitive gears, you'll improve your focus and keep your performance high without running out of gas. Want a quick visual reminder? Check out Cognitive Gears , summarizing these gears!