Critical Thinkng for Leaders

Getting Started

Part of developing a strong foundation for leadership rests in seeking wisdom from others. For this assignment, you will prepare to engage a leader of your choosing as you conduct a Leader2Leader dialogue. Taking into consideration what you have studied thus far about critical thinking, you will develop a set of questions or discussion starters that you will use to gain new insights and perspectives on how someone else uses critical thinking skills in their practice of leadership.

You’ve read from textbooks and articles. You’ve discussed this with your peers. However, further insights might be gained by dialogues with key leaders in your life. Do they agree with some of the frameworks, principles, and practices you’ve been studying? Disagree? Have additional insights they might offer? What have they learned from their experiences in the areas you have been studying?

You will want to be mindful of the scope of this course. Remembering what you have studied thus far will aid you in creating questions for the dialogue. Be prepared to carry out your dialogue after you receive feedback from your instructor. 

LDR 260 is the third course in the program. By this point, you have already held two Leader2Leader dialogues. As you work through the entirety of the program, it may be appropriate that you interview the same leader more than once. However, broaden your horizons. Who else might you talk to? Who is the best leader in your life to have a conversation about the importance of critical thinking as a leader? Expanding who you talk to in the program will also expand your leadership network for the future, perhaps giving you even more opportunities.

· Conduct your interview during the Week of Workshop 4.

· Review 5.2 Assignment:  Leader2Leader Dialogue Report 5.2(new tab)  where you will report your findings.

· Incorporate your learning from your interview dialogue as you complete your course project in workshop six.

Background Information

An important part of leadership development is acquiring perspectives outside of a textbook. Throughout your program, you will be encouraged to glean insights or perspectives from a variety of external leaders. Beginning with the first course in your program, you have been encouraged to identify some leaders with whom you can hold a brief discussion (30 minutes or less). You should not interview the same leader for each course, but you should consider a variety of individuals from whom you might learn during the program (e.g., direct supervisor, other level leaders in your organization (or other organizations with which you are familiar), a pastor/religious leader, head of a charity, local business person) in order to generate a variety of perspectives. Select one of those leaders in your life for your Leader2Leader dialogue in this course. Consider which one might have the most relevant insights for the critical thinking topics you are learning.

Instructions

1. Review, as needed, the following videos to glean insights into how to best develop questions:

a. Katie Couric on How to Conduct a Good Interview(new tab)  

b. Four Tips for an Effective Interview: A StoryCorps Education Tool(new tab)

2. In preparation for your dialogue, submit an executive summary as outlined by the following:

a. Name and title of the interviewee (who you will have your Leader2Leader dialogue with), as well as the names of interviewees from your previous Leader2Leader Dialogues in the LDR205 and LDR220 courses. In order to obtain a variety of perspectives, you are expected to interview as many different individuals as possible over the course of this program.

b. Date, time, and method (Zoom, Skype, FaceTime…) planned for conducting the dialogue.

i. Be sure to give yourself plenty of time to complete the write up for your dialogue in Workshop Six.

c. A set of 7–10 questions or discussion starters from this course’s material (thus far) on critical thinking.

i. Questions should not be simple “Yes” – “No” questions but should allow the leader you selected to provide thoughtful explanations that will contribute to your understanding of the topic.

ii. Questions should display variety, not focusing on one or two topics. Be sure to take time to review what you have learned this week and during the earlier workshops. Note: When you write your executive summary, clearly connect each question to a principle represented in the course material.

iii. Keep in mind the dialogue should be 30 minutes or less. So, you may not have time to ask all the questions you develop. Consider how you arrange or outline the questions. What flow exists between the questions? What ones are the most essential? What ones might serve as follow up questions.

3. Your executive summary can be written in the form of an outline.