Over and over in history, complex issues have been resolved and innovative ideas actualized through deep levels of thinking. Now more than ever before, with technology catapulting us into the future, we are rushing decisions without taking the time necessary to truly understand context leading to concept and finally content.
Today’s leaders are valued for their swift actions.
Today’s leaders are valued for their bite-sized media clips.
Today’s leaders are valued for their fame and visibilty.
Calamity and chaos has ensued. Politically. Economically. Socially.
The answer is very simple.
It has precedence throughout history.
The idea of taking a moment to pause, breathe and be still seems to clash against the ethos of relentless productivity.
There is a reservoir of untapped potential in the practice of pausing – a power in stillness that is often overlooked.
Pausing and keeping the thinking “above the line” of relentless productivity allows leaders to step back from the immediacy of the moment and gain a broader view of the situation. This break provides the space to question assumptions, reevaluate strategies, and explore alternatives. It offers a chance to reconnect with the bigger contextual picture and gain fresh perspective on problems that seem unsolvable within the hustle and bustle of daily operations. It also puts a much greater level of influence in the hands of the person controlling the pause.
The leader’s challenge is to understand where the thinking line is being held at any point in time and to question what level of thinking must they be working through for the greatest success.
Two factors come into play:
The Content/Operational level is tangible, immediate and real. It is seductive. It rewards territorial behaviour. It creates a sense of value through activity. It feels rewarding. Everyone is “doing”. Without real leadership of thinking, anyone will move to this level in the collective.
The Context/Strategic Relevance level is intangible, hard and future paced. It is challenging. It tests higher level thinking, demands higher value focus and requires everyone to align for the greater good rather than individual positioning. It can create a sense of frustration arising from delayed action. It can feel like a waste of time. Everyone is “just thinking”. Context is one of the first levels of thinking that leaves any conversation. Without context, the conversation loses meaning.
The skill of any wise leader is to be able to move The Line, at will, up and down the hierarchy of thinking and bring everyone with you.
This is my promise: I am leading the Renaissance of Wisdom to teach this discipline to leaders across businesses, organizations and government to truly catalyze needed change at this time in our history.
Simon Bowen has spent over two decades as a facilitator, advisor, and consultant to some of the most influential leaders across many complex industries and circumstances. His very clear finding is that thinking is valued less than doing in almost every situation in our modern world. However, Simon has conversely observed that the power and success of any business, project, or organization will be directly proportional to the people’s level and quality of thinking and the quality of the idea or ideas on which it is built.
As such, Simon is leading the renaissance of thinking, creating visual models that unpack a leader and organization’s genius. The Models MethodR revolutionizes how brands and leaders sell, package, and deliver their unique intellectual property.
Simon has demonstrated the efficacy of his Models Method with Fortune 500 companies, heads of Government, the military and private sector in strategic planning, the incubation of innovation, crisis management, and moments of conflict.
Simon consults with a small group of companies 1:1 to create their own genius model, achieve a profound shift in how they sell and convert, create deep alignment and understanding across the business of the value of their genius, and revolutionize the way leaders innovate.
Connect with Simon Bowen and the Renaissance of Wisdom community to access a wealth of resources designed to ignite your genius, empower your leadership, and amplify your impact.
