Leaders think differently, which is one of the reasons they stand out from the crowd. Crowds tend to settle, content with how things are, or lamenting about how things were.
Leaders like comfort too, but in smaller doses. They know too much comfort leads to complacency and a false sense of certainty. They know there are at best, three certainties in life. We will all die, we will all pay taxes, and we will all face uncertainty.
Surprisingly, better leaders do not lack uncertainty. This fact does not immobilize them; it emboldens them. The tools at their disposal are no different from those anyone else can access. It has to do with their way of thinking.
They conceive possibility by asking, If
They discern by asking, Which
They weigh time by asking, When
They consider place by asking, Where
They examine the thing itself by asking, What
They consider motive by asking, Why
They study the means by asking, How
They think about the person or group by asking, Who
Did you notice? Effective leaders ask more than they tell.
When you equip yourself with these questions and are open to what they uncover, intriguing alternatives and new ways of facing old problems will emerge. If you haven’t already adopted this type of thinking, you ought to consider doing so. Each day, every time you encounter uncertainty.
A word of caution, when you make a habit of thinking this way, you begin to stand out from the crowd as a leader.
Also published on Medium.