The disadvantages of black and white thinking are well known. Any time a leader oversimplifies a decision or issue by choosing to see things in extreme good’s and bad’s or right’s and wrong’s, they typically make poor choices and draw inadequate conclusions.
By giving up the middle ground, or shades of gray, leaders lose the flexibility to appreciate the complexity inherent in situations and people. Their simplistic and rigid thinking is often off-putting to others and creates unintended consequences for those steeped in the problem.
In contrast, the best leaders prefer to think in the gray, considering an issue from all sides and angles and appreciating the subtleties before taking a view or making a decision. Thinking gray doesn’t make a leader indecisive. It simply creates the time needed for contemplation and exploration to craft a considered viewpoint.
Thinking gray is never a matter of indifference. Instead, leaders who prefer thinking this way recognize the importance of elements that are not instantly obvious. They care about understanding the factors at play that are obscure or lie underneath what is apparent on the face. They eschew the allure of black and white assumptions and give more credence to the unpronounced. They know it is what isn’t obvious that can have the greatest influence.
More specifically, thinking gray requires leaders to seek out strong and opposite opinions about an issue or experience. Before landing on a view, they desire to learn more about the contrasting arguments and evidence that highlights the complexity of the issue. This temporary ambivalence slows the leader’s thinking down and prevents a hurried decision. It also helps to eliminate common biases associated with poor decisions. But most importantly, the choice to think in the gray allows leaders the time they need to assign weight to the elements entangled inside the issue.
All leaders jump to conclusions at times. They rely on their experience and judgment to cut to the chase and land on a square without much contemplation or discussion. This saves time and on issues of minor importance reflects a reasonable course of action. But with decisions and issues of consequence, the best leaders prefer to think in the gray, considering all the features, elements and factors of an issue before landing on a viewpoint or conclusion. Those who resist thinking gray do so at their own peril as decision-makers.
