Bring More Critical Thinking to Your Leadership Team with Steve Pearlman

Mar 31, 2023 | Hot Mess Hotline Podcast, Leadership Development

Critical thinking in leadership teams is not the norm. Too many meetings are focused on who’s winning, who has the best idea, who’s talking the loudest, etc. Steve Pearlman, a critical thinking expert, makes the analogy to poker. We hold our cards close and jockey to win. But then tell everyone else to show their cards so the team can win.

I learned so much about how critical thinking is a bit more complex than I knew and yet there are some key tricks we can all use to be more present, aware, and unbiased in our thought processes.

Lead Kick Ass Meetings

Download this toolkit and you'll get resources to:

Easily manage task items from every meeting
Design agendas quickly and allow folks the right info to prepare
Hold your next effective staff meeting with focused content
Run a quick daily meeting so your team gets more shit done
Have your staff turn in meaningful updates so meetings are shorter
Start meetings in an engaging way. Get everyone to laugh, not roll their eyes.

About Steve Pearlman

Since 1992, Steve has taught critical thinking and writing in higher education, including elite liberal arts colleges and state universities. In 2011, Steve founded one of the United States’ first departments in higher education specifically focused on teaching critical thinking skills. His work resulted in something exceptionally rare in academia: documented, campus-wide improvements in critical thinking.

A premiere expert in critical thinking, Steve has presented at countless educational institutions, conferences, and businesses about improving critical thinking and related habits of mind. He is frequently found in national and international media, including CBS Atlanta, The Hill, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Connecticut Today, First Coast Connect, The Nation Speaks, The Atlanta Journal Constitution, and Point of View Radio.

Devoted to the idea that everyone needs access to elite critical thinking skills, Steve founded The Critical Thinking Institute to bring his unique, proven methodology to the general public.

In addition to academic articles, Steve is the author of America’s Critical Thinking Crisis: The Failure and Promise of Education, as well as the host of the podcast (for educators), Headagogy.

Learn more at:

thectinstitute.com
Twitter: @thectinstitute
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecriticalthinkinginstitute

Rich Leaders Have Rich Relationships with Jack Gibson

A little-discussed asset class known by rich leaders is to have rich relationships. Jack Gibson is a leader who values trust over money; friendship over revenue. Just a few short years ago, he was feeling hot, hot, hot about real estate investing with a business partner. He referred his friends to this person. Everything was great while everyone was making money together.

Until it wasn’t and they were all losing money. Big time. Jack put on his cape and saved the day. While he’s learned since then that “saving others” isn’t his job, he’ll never regret saving a relationship at the expense of virtually everything else. Listen in to our conversation where lifelong friends have stayed trusted partners because he knows the value of the best investment out there: relationship capital.

Insights into Uncomfortable Race Conversations at Work with Danielle Meadows-Stinnett

Have you ever wanted insights into uncomfortable race conversations at work but didn’t know who to ask? Our guest, Danielle Meadows-Stinnett, is generous enough to share a hot mess she found herself in as the CEO of her marketing company. She describes what it felt like when a client said to her teammate, “Do you even speak English?”

For those of us in more privileged positions in our American culture, we need to learn what it’s like sitting in the chair across from us as a person of color, a non-native English speaker, someone without a college degree whose colleagues all have college degrees, etc. etc. Unfortunately we’ve created too many ways to outrank each other. This conversation is a great reminder that we all show up to work looking to make a difference as a fellow human. Not a fellow human with all the labels we put on each other and ourselves.

How Small Tweaks Create Big Change with Nikki Evans

Big change is created by small tweaks. One of our faculty members, Nikki Evans, reminds us that change happens in small steps. Our brains are wired for overwhelm when we try to prioritize, do, plan, think through too many steps. Coaching reminds us to use our human superpowers of focus, critical thinking, and taking one step at a time.

Nikki shares her coaching perspective, why you might want to work with her, and what to expect. After listening I hope you’ll find her as amazing as I do and see why she’s a natural fit here at Stefanie Krievins & Co.