The Leadership Investment Organizations Can’t Afford to Ignore

The headlines are relentless: AI is coming for your job! Automation is replacing knowledge workers! The robots are smarter than we are!

It’s enough to send any leader scrambling for a survival strategy. But here’s the truth: AI can process data at warp speed, but it can’t think critically. It doesn’t ask the hard questions. It doesn’t weigh trade-offs in complex, high-stakes decisions. It doesn’t navigate the unpredictability of human relationships.

That’s why organizations that invest in developing their leaders’ ability to think critically—to assess, adapt, and make sound strategic decisions—are the ones that will thrive.

The Critical Thinking Deficit in Leadership

In her January 8, 2025 Fast Company article, Jennifer Mattson explores the World Economic Forum’s recent report and lays it out bluntly: "While AI is rapidly advancing, the skills that remain in highest demand are critical and creative thinking, flexibility, resilience, and agility.” The problem? We’re not developing them fast enough in our leaders.

Too many organizations are still prioritizing outdated leadership training—focused on execution and efficiency—rather than teaching leaders how to think.

In turbulent times, the most dangerous thing a leader can do is operate on autopilot or past experience. Strategy isn’t a fixed destination; it’s an evolving process. Leaders who lack the ability to analyze complex situations, challenge assumptions, recognize their own bias, and adapt to new realities are not just ineffective—they’re a liability.

The ROI of Critical Thinking Workshops

Investing in structured, high-impact workshops that build critical thinking skills is not a luxury; it’s a necessity. When leaders develop these skills, organizations see:

• More effective decision-making. Leaders learn to assess risks, ask the right questions, and make choices that drive long-term success.
• Stronger strategic planning. In an uncertain world, rigid planning fails. Critical thinkers build strategies that are flexible, responsive, and resilient.
• Better leadership under pressure. Leaders trained in critical thinking don’t panic in crises—they evaluate, adapt, and act decisively.
• Increased innovation. AI can generate ideas, but only humans can make the connections that lead to breakthrough innovation.

Leaders Must Learn to Own Their Thinking

At the core of accountability is how leaders think. If they aren’t challenging their own assumptions, questioning their biases, and refining their decision-making processes, then they aren’t truly accountable.

This is why I push leaders to own their mindset, skill set, and practice when it comes to demonstrating accountability for tougher thinking. It’s not just about holding others responsible—it’s about developing mental discipline, strategic foresight, and the ability to navigate complexity.

Organizations that fail to prioritize this will find themselves stuck in reactive mode, unable to adapt to disruption. Those that actively build critical thinking capacity in their leaders will create organizations that are not just surviving the future, but shaping it.

Stop Training for the Past—Start Investing in the Future

AI is not your biggest threat. The real risk is failing to equip leaders with the thinking skills they need to succeed.

The question isn’t whether you can afford to invest in critical thinking workshops.

It’s whether you can afford not to.

If any of this resonates with you or your team's needs, our ToughenUp! critical thinking skills program is worth a look to learn to use proven tools for applied critical and analytical thinking,