Developing Leadership Abilities

Leading Team Members to Think Well

“One member of our team seems to have trouble ... well, thinking. She can follow directions well, but when she has to solve a problem by herself we never know what to expect.”

This approximate complaint comes to every leader’s attention sooner or later. Thinking outside the box can help the company, but thinking outside city limits is a drag on all concerned. We joke about some coworkers having “one taco short of a combination plate.” But it’s no joke when we have to redo their work or, worse, when clients suffer the results of their incompetence.

Your Turn How does a poor thinker affect the work of the team? What can a team do to help a poor thinker improve his intellectual skills? __________________________________________________ ...