Psychology of Leadership

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5.2 Assignment – Leader2Leader Dialogue

Delsa Christian

4FA2021 Critical Thinking for Leaders

Professor Randy Savage

November 9, 2021

In my Leader2Leader dialogue, I got an opportunity to engage Mary Parker on matters of leadership. I narrowed my discussion with Mary Parker into this week's material on critical thinking skills. Mary Parker is a local businesswoman with several businesses. She is a renowned business owner who successfully runs multiple businesses, making her a suitable candidate, having managed hundreds of employees. The meeting was conducted via Skype at 2:00 pm. During the interview, I was able to engage Mary Parker with the following questions;

i. In your own words, how do you understand critical thinking?

“I understand critical thinking as the ability to think rationally and clearly, understanding the logic between ideas. Critical thinking is the analysis of facts or factual evidence to form a judgement. Critical thinking is self-disciplined, self-corrective thinking, self-directed and self-monitored”.

ii. Is critical thinking necessary in leadership?

"I strongly believe critical thinking is essential in leadership since it helps leaders understand the impact of their decisions on the company and the people they lead. Organizations need leaders who can think independently without bias and judgment; this way, their decisions will be aimed at helping the organization to be successful. As leaders, critical thinking is crucial as it helps us express our ideas, thoughts, and beliefs. Besides, critical thinking fosters creative thinking, which is important for any leader".

iii. Describe a situation where critical thinking skills helped you solve a problem.

“As a leader, critical thinking skills have helped me solve problems on several occasions. One of my recent situations was when I was looking for a competent supplier for one of my restaurants. One of my friends recommended an online application that links business people with suppliers. Upon opening the application, I found many suppliers with whom I could work with. However, I did not know which one I could trust since I was looking forward to a long-term contract. After much thought, I decided to look at their reviews, which saved me from a bunch of conmen posing as competent suppliers. Luckily, I was able to locate one supplier with a good rating and review. Upon reviewing his credentials and consulting some local businesses, I found out that he was a legit supplier. Furthermore, since he started supplying, I have not received any complaints from my restaurant manager”.

iv. How can employees improve their critical thinking skills?

"Having employees with great critical thinking skills is significant for any organization since they can make detailed and wise decisions. Some of the ways that employees can use to improve their critical thinking skills include developing foresight, becoming more self-aware, understanding their mental process, asking questions, and evaluating the existing evidence”.

v. Which areas of leadership is critical thinking essential?

“The areas of leadership where critical thinking is essential are; organizational well-being, goal setting, and effective process. Any leader needs critical thinking skills when it comes to organizational well-being since this area deals with the organization's internal development. Goal setting is also another critical area since a leader must align personal and department goals with the company's mission and vision. The final area of focus is the process. Leaders need critical thinking skills to ensure efficiency in the day to day operations of the company”.

vi. Describe a time when you demonstrated to your employees how to employ critical thinking skills effectively.

"At one point, I found a commotion in my workplace; apparently, two employees were fighting for a parking slot. The argument had attracted the whole organization since most people were reporting for work. Upon arriving at the scene, the two employees immediately stopped arguing, and everyone started looking in my direction. I enquired what was happening, and I was informed that the two were fighting for a parking slot that was near the entrance of the building. Since both employees were claiming ownership of the slot and I wanted to remain neutral to both sides, I decided to give the slot to a new employee who used to park his car at the far end of the building".

vii. Describe one of the most difficult decisions you had to make as an employer.

“At one time. I was selecting vendors to print our promotional materials. We’ve always had a long-time vendor whom we have been working with for over a decade. However, being one of our biggest print jobs, another vendor came to us with a lower bid. At this time, I did not want to take away the work that we have been giving our company vendor; however, I could not justify picking him out of loyalty since someone else was offering the same services but at a lower bid. So I opened up to the old vendor to hear what he had to say. Our long-time vendor agreed to lower his bid, and the company ended up saving a lot of money”.