Thoughtfulness is beneficial for a leader. However, absent a just character, thoughtfulness becomes scheming. Thus, deep thoughtfulness requires a just character.
What Were You Thinking?
Deep thoughtfulness is good because it overcomes my inexperience, builds interpersonal discretion, and increases my self-confidence.
Unfortunately, I can spend lots of time thinking about stuff that gets me into trouble. Hence, the question “What were you thinking?”
You probably heard that several times as a teenager. “Duh-oh” got you by when you were 14.
However,when your boss asks that question, you should have a more convincing answer available!
Poor Thinking – Bad Results
Proverbs 14.17 notes that deep thought, when paired with bad intentions, causes others to hate me.
Similarly, Proverbs 24.8 says deep thoughtfulness can be used for evil intentions.
That’s pretty strong stuff!
In fact, both of those verses use the Hebrew word that’s translated elsewhere in the positive. It’s used for deep thoughtfulness that produces discretion. For example, see Proverbs 1.4 and Proverbs 2.11.
Actually, it’s not enough to be able to think deeply. Why? Because deep thinking absent the self-control of a just character is highly problematic.
Thus, deep thoughtfulness requires a just character. That just character allows me to exercise good judgment.
Leadership Insight
You are likely familiar with the quote: “We judge others by their actions and ourselves by our intentions.”
Why intentions? Because, ultimately, intentions lead to actions. And, my actions are observable to others.
In Proverbs 14.17 and 24.8, Solomon is zeroing-in on bad intentions.
However, he doesn’t discuss how we’re to determine those intentions.
Identify Intentions
So, how does a leader avoid misreading the intentions of others? Here are some suggestions.
First, don’t form conclusions based on what you’ve observed in the past. Otherwise, the leader falls into the trap of “you always” or “you never.”
This is especially dangerous if a leader only pays attention to information that confirms his or her world view.
Hence, the warning to avoid confirmation bias – hearing and believing only that which conforms to my existing beliefs.
Second, avoid responding to partial information because “what someone heard” invariably isn’t the whole story. Also, it’s not likely the accurate story.
Third, be intentional about asking for clarification.
Here’s a hint – loudly beginning with “what were you thinking?” doesn’t set the tone for a constructive conversation!
Instead, a better starting point is to ask for clarification. For example, “help me understand your rationale for saying …”
Form a Decision
After listening, discernment must kick in. The leader hears what the other person is saying. But, does it square with what the leader has observed or heard elsewhere?
A word of caution. We’re aware of Hanlon’s Razor:
Remember, don’t assume bad intentions when incompetence is a better explanation.
Yes, incompetence, or lack of knowledge, or acting on wrong data, are frequent occurrences. Sometimes people simply make a mistake because they’re human.
If that’s the case, the leader should find a way to reduce the number of times employees act inappropriately because of incomplete or inaccurate data.
Addressing Malice
All that said, at times people do act out of malice. For instance, they’re still angry about something that happened years ago. Thus, the personal vendetta.
Certainly there are thousands of other similar scenarios.
Leaders must accurately identify malice. Then, the leader must take appropriate action to address those bad intentions. Conversely, not taking action is destructive to the well-being of the organization.
Therefore, the warning in Proverbs about how destructive deep thoughtfulness is when combined with evil intent.
Instead, for a leader to function effectively, deep thoughtfulness requires a just character.
Personal Insight
Recently, a direct report expressed concern about the action of another member of our leadership team. As it turned out, the concern related to something I had said.
Actually, the individual’s concern came about because they had’nt heard everything I said. Instead, they were basing their response on only a portion of what I said.
I clarified the content of the entire conversation. As a result, the person was in a very different place because their concern about bad intentions had been addressed.
So, don’t make assumptions about the intentions of others. Instead, find out then act accordingly and decisively.
Thanks for visiting. If you have any questions or comments, please contact me: larrydaleyoung@gmail.com