Critical thinkers are critical to your success

Critical thinking — and critical thinkers—are the key to moving a business forward. And whether it’s a family-owned business looking for the next generation of leaders or a public company looking to outpace the competition, finding and developing the critical thinkers within your organization is critical to success.

Most CEOs and other leaders already have this trait; it’s part of what got them to where they are. Critical thinkers, however, aren’t always easy to find. According to the 2016 Workforce-Skills Preparedness Report by PayScale, critical thinking was the No. 1 soft skill that managers feel new graduates are lacking. The reasons why so many people lack this skill is unclear, but there is good news: Critical thinking can be taught.