One thing we don’t do a lot of is ‘think’. As crazy as that may sound, it is true. The National dictator, Adolf Hitler once boasted, “What luck for rulers that men do not think.”
Good thinkers solve problems, they never lack ideas that can build an organization. They have the ability to think of the big picture. They are never at the mercy of ruthless people.
It is true indeed that a person who knows how may always have a job, but the person who knows why will always be his boss. These two types of individuals are both competent and good at what they do, the difference however is that one’s focus is on the day to day tasks before him, while the other’s focus is on the big picture, which requires good thinking.
Someone once took a tour around a very impressive multibillion dollar company. While at the top floor he saw a man seated in an empty oval room with just windows everywhere over looking the city. He asked his guide who was taking him around who the man was and why the company was wasting so much space and resources on him. The guide replied, “the man you are referring to is the highest paid person in this entire organization, his job is to think and his thinking produces billions.”
David Schwartz said “Where success is concerned, people are not measured in inches, or pounds, or college degree, or family background; they are measured by the size of their thinking.”
Big picture thinking is what helps us keep keeping on knowing that the present task is temporary and necessary because of the greater good. It brings wholeness and maturity to a person’s thinking. It brings perspective.
Are you a big picture thinker?
Do you have the ability to think BIG?
Here’s How to Identify Big Thinkers:
- Big Picture Thinkers are life long learners – They learn continuously. They are never at a point where they think they have arrived or that they know it all. They are always visiting new places, learning new skills, meeting new people and reading new books. These activities help them connect the dots that others otherwise, loose out on.
- Big Picture Thinkers are good listeners – They listen especially to others with expertise in the area where they are not. Too many times I encounter individuals who are prone to arguing especially in areas they are clueless. It is wiser to take advantage of the time, ask questions and listen intentionally.
- Big Picture Thinkers look beyond their own perspective – They understand that we all don’t see the world the same way and from the same perspective. They know that in order to see and understand how others see things, they must try to take the other persons perspective.
- Big Picture Thinkers live a full life – Because big picture thinkers expand their experiences, they expand their world. They are able to accomplish more than narrow minded people can. They also experience fewer unwanted surprises, because of their ability to navigate and see many components involved in any given situation.
Becoming a good thinker means developing those skills to the best of your ability. All you must do is be willing to engage in the process everyday.
You are just a few thoughts away from your next big break! Think! Think good! Think big!
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