Thoughts about the importance of critical thinking and effective communication.

After reading the excerpt, it further reinforces the idea that being able to think critically and communicate effectively are important leadership traits. Poor communication and lack of engagement with employees will often result in misunderstandings and doubts. These misunderstandings may result in severe losses for the organisation. Communication without critical thinking will just make one's opinions seem unreasonable and senseless. 

It's like trying to bake a cake without a recipe. When trying to express an idea, you have to be logical and relevant when doing so or your words will not hold any weight. An example I can link back to will be the time when I was serving national service. There was a training mission when we are almost wiped out by enemy forces. This is due to the improper communication and lack of critical thinking between both the commanders and their troopers. Most of us were unable to make sound decisions as the battlefield was constantly evolving. Communication between the higher ups and our commanders also broke down quickly as everyone was trying to take charge and do what they thought was best at that time. This can be tracked back to our training phase days, when we were often taught to “Don’t ask questions, just do”.  

As a result, now there is a larger emphasis on being a ‘thinking soldier’. Objective analysis on the battlefield (or the workplace) and clear communication of instructions and logical reasoning to support these instructions will benefit the organisation as a whole. Employees can also contribute by providing valid arguments to refute certain points or instructions. This will challenge the entire organisation to identify flaws and strive to improve as a whole.  

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