Employers in a World Economic Forum survey identified critical thinking as one of the most in-demand skills through 2025. Business history is replete with scandals and failures that might have been avoided had executives thought more critically about their responsibilities and decisions.
Critical thinking means thinking about one’s thinking – questioning initial assumptions, examining information from multiple angles, and reaching well-reasoned conclusions. It involves curiosity, open-mindedness, and healthy scepticism all of which drive one to seek the truth and remain objective.
Critical thinking requires you to be analytical. Being analytical means being able to break down complex problems, interpret information, and identify what is truly important. For example, examining data, reports, and situations methodically to understand cause and effect. It involves sorting fact from opinion and identifying key patterns or root issues amid a flood of information. A good analyst is able to comprehend the meaning of data and can deconstruct arguments or scenarios into their respective components. In practical terms this means being able to answer questions such as ‘What do these numbers actually tell us? What assumptions underlie this proposal?’ This helps avoid superficial understanding and ensures you’re addressing the right problem.
Analysis goes hand in hand with evaluation – the ability to assess the credibility and significance of information, and to reason through arguments logically. In this stage of the hierarchy, the question you are asking is, ‘Is this information reliable?, Are these arguments valid?, What are the biases or weaknesses here?’ e.g. questioning whether A really causes B or if it’s a correlation, and evaluate options against criteria. You can strengthen your evaluation skills by training in basic logic (e.g. understanding deductive vs. inductive reasoning), learning about common cognitive biases (and how to counteract them), and assigning someone to argue the opposite case – to ensure all arguments are critically examined. The goal is to arrive at conclusions that are well-founded and rational, increasing the likelihood of successful outcomes.
Creativity is in fact a vital component of critical thinking. Once you have analysed and evaluated the information at hand, you must also be able to think laterally – generating innovative solutions and exploring unconventional approaches. Creative thinking in this context means not just artistic creativity, but the capacity to imagine alternatives, ask “what if” questions, and synthesise insights from different fields or perspectives. Critical thinking and creativity go hand in hand: by questioning assumptions and freeing oneself from habitual patterns, you create room for novel ideas. Many breakthrough business strategies emerge from this interplay of analysis and imagination. You can cultivate creative thinking by deliberately exposing yourself to cross-functional ideas (e.g. having finance and marketing teams brainstorm together), engaging in scenario planning (imagining different futures), and maintaining an inquisitive mindset that asks “Is there another way?”. Creativity in problem-solving still benefits from critical evaluation afterward – generate many ideas freely, then apply logic and evidence to identify which innovative idea is most feasible.
Critical Thinking Under Pressure
Even the most thorough critical thinking can be derailed when you are under severe time pressure or stress. In fast-paced business scenarios – tight deadlines, crises, or high-pressure negotiations – there is a tendency for our brains to revert to “auto-pilot” thinking, relying on gut instincts and shortcuts. When faced with a pressing decision, even a brief pause can prevent knee-jerk reactions. This doesn’t necessarily mean lengthy delays – it could be as simple as taking a deep breath, a quick walk around the office, or a five-minute team huddle to clarify thinking. The act of stepping back momentarily helps engage the more analytical part of the brain. For example, in a heated meeting, a leader might call for a short break or silently count to ten to cool down emotional impulses. This pause creates space to recall the critical thinking steps: What is our objective? What information is missing? Are we avoiding any uncomfortable facts? Such questions can then be addressed calmly.
Good critical thinkers recognise when emotions (anger, over-excitement, stress) are running high, and they take steps to dial them down. This might involve adopting a neutral tone, focusing discussion on facts, or even acknowledging emotions (“I know we’re all anxious about this”) to defuse their power. Mindfulness or breathing techniques can help you stay composed under pressure, enabling clearer thinking. The idea is not to eliminate emotion (which is impossible and emotions can convey important signals), but to prevent emotional hijacking of the thinking process. By keeping stress at bay – or having strategies to cope with it (e.g. prioritising tasks, delegating under crisis to avoid overload) – leaders maintain better cognitive function to analyse and reason.
Under time pressure, having a pre-defined decision framework can save precious minutes and reduce mental load. For example, carry a critical thinking checklist for crisis scenarios. This could include a few essential questions: What problem are we really trying to solve? What do we actually know and how? What assumptions are we making? What are our options and the pros/cons of each? In stressful moments, it’s easy to skip one of these and make a flawed decision. A checklist serves as a safety net, ensuring you at least touch on each critical thinking step. The key is to have these frameworks well-practised in calmer times, so that under pressure they can be executed almost reflexively. Pilots train repeatedly on emergency protocols so that in a crisis they don’t have to deeply think how to think – they follow ingrained procedure. Similarly, leaders should practice using their decision frameworks in smaller, everyday decisions. Over time, this builds a habit of structured thinking that will kick in even when the heat is on.
Another way to avoid critical thinking blind spots under pressure is to get a second pair of eyes on the problem – even if time is short. Pressure can narrow one’s perspective (tunnel vision), so smart leaders make use of their team: “Can someone else double-check this logic?” or “Devil’s advocate, what am I missing?”. If an immediate decision allows even 10 minutes, calling a quick huddle or phoning a trusted mentor can reveal alternative viewpoints that one may overlook when stressed. Group problem-solving, when properly managed, can catch errors an individual might miss. While not every situation affords extensive consultation, even a brief exchange of ideas or a rapid “red team” review can enhance critical thinking under time constraints.
Be extra mindful of cognitive biases – the mental shortcuts and distortions that we are all prone to. Stress and urgency can exacerbate biases like confirmation bias (seeking information that confirms our preconceptions), anchoring (fixating on the first piece of information), or overconfidence. One practical approach is to perform a quick bias check: literally ask, “Am I choosing this option just because it’s familiar or I’m invested in it? Have I really considered evidence against it?”. By consciously invoking the habits of questioning assumptions, looking for disconfirming data, and considering alternative explanations – leaders can counteract the distortions that pressure may introduce. A willingness to revisit one’s logic is a hallmark of a critical thinker and can prevent serious mistakes, even when decisions must be made fast.
Just as athletes train to execute skills under game stress, leaders must train their critical thinking muscles so that they hold up in a crisis. Techniques like pausing briefly, managing emotional triggers, relying on checklists/frameworks, seeking rapid input, and checking for biases all serve to keep one’s thinking clear and objective when it counts most. Not every urgent decision will be perfect, but using these strategies significantly improves the odds of a well-reasoned outcome rather than a purely reactive one.
Dr Dominic Irvine & Professor Emeritus Simon Jobson
Useful articles
Bouygues, H.L. (2019) 3 Simple Habits to Improve Your Critical Thinking. Harvard Business Review (Oct 11, 2019). [Podcast Transcript] hbr.orghbr.org.
Chartrand, J., Ishikawa, H. & Flander, S. (2009). Critical Thinking Means Business: Learn to Apply and Develop the New #1 Workplace Skill. Pearson TalentLens. yumpu.comyumpu.com.
Dwyer, C.P., Hogan, M.J. & Stewart, I. (2014). “An integrated critical thinking framework for the 21st century.” Thinking Skills and Creativity, 12, pp. 43–52. michaelhoganpsychology.comouci.dntb.gov.ua.
Facione, P.A. (1990). Critical Thinking: A Statement of Expert Consensus for Purposes of Educational Assessment and Instruction. The Delphi Report. American Philosophical Association. qcc.cuny.edu.
Skrzek-Lubasińska, M. & Malik, R. (2023). “Is critical thinking a future skill for business success: science mapping and literature review.” Central European Management Journal, 31(1), pp. 48–63. ouci.dntb.gov.ua.
Whiting, K. (2020). “These are the top 10 job skills of tomorrow – and how long it takes to learn them.” World Economic Forum, Oct 21, 2020. weforum.org.
Davies, M. & Calma, A. (2020). “Our business leaders must think critically.” University of Melbourne Pursuit, 18 Feb 2020. pursuit.unimelb.edu.aupursuit.unimelb.edu.au