Here are some helpful tips to improve your critical thinking. The management.about.com website reminds us that we should be constantly mentally active and curious.
1) Reading supports your critical thinking
Read how famous leaders resolved their biggest challenges. Sometimes it simply helps to think about things differently. There are many books that offer insights and advice based on the lives and behavior of leaders such as Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Winston Churchill. If these well-known leaders are not what you are interested in, or you have already read their biographies and memoirs, it is still good to read about a topic that you don’t know about from time to time. Search for new and unique insights. Try to read something fresh and provocative for at least 20 minutes a day.
2) Analyze your competitors
Try to describe and understand their strategy. Study their behavior and also try to figure out where and how they make their revenues. Try to understand what customer groups they target. Strive to know why their efforts are successful or unsuccessful. Your findings can be then used for your own company’s success. Use them for further development. Also, regularly speak with your colleagues who meet with customers face to face. That way you can always learn something new and what is currently happening. Don't be afraid to involve your entire team.
3) Find and solve a problem nobody wants to deal with
If you know there is an issue that is unpleasant and that nobody tries to solve, do that. Once you have identified the problem, feel free to ask for support from your boss. Guide your team through analyzing the problem, interviewing the key stakeholders and crafting possible solutions. It will improve your reputation as a leader and will get you the reputation of someone who solves problems effectively, especially if it involves multiple departments.
4) Listen to your senior leaders
Be interested in what your senior leaders deal with. Meet with them. Invite your boss to lunch and ask questions about your company’s strategy and the direction your business is going in. Try to understand what the biggest challenges are. That way you will have a clearer idea of what your bosses must address and how the business will evolve.
-jk-