Fostering a Culture of Thought: Tactics for Modern Leaders

Diving beneath surface-level leadership advice, our conversation explores how to truly foster environments where thinking flourishes. We unpack two pivotal tactics from our new book that transform organizational culture: the power of reading and the counterintuitive approach of "staying stupid longer."

Reading isn't just about information acquisition—it's about making connections between ideas that spark innovation. When leaders read deeply and encourage teams to do the same, they create neural networks of knowledge that drive breakthrough thinking. The magic happens not just in solitary reading but in the collective discussion of ideas, where different perspectives illuminate blind spots and challenge assumptions. As we share, reading approximately fifty books yearly provides a substantial foundation for leadership thinking, but it's the active engagement—highlighting passages, making connections between concepts—that transforms passive information into actionable insight.

Perhaps more surprising is our second favorite tactic: "Stay Stupid Longer" (SSL). This approach challenges leaders to resist providing immediate solutions when team members raise questions. When experienced leaders with organizational authority quickly offer answers, they inadvertently shut down thinking throughout their team. People learn to wait for direction rather than developing analytical abilities. By intentionally holding back expertise—"staying stupid longer"—leaders create space for others to develop and articulate their thinking. This builds problem-solving capacity throughout the organization rather than centralizing it with leadership.

Ready to transform your leadership approach? These two tactics represent just a third of our complete framework for building cultures where thinking thrives. Discover all six tactics and practical implementation strategies in our new book—because organizations that think together succeed together.