Critical Thinking: A Strategic Asset for Managers
- What are the two main principles of critical thinking?
- Cognitive biases: the starting point for practising critical thinking
- From awareness to critical action
- Practising critical thinking every day
- Practical tips to stimulate critical thinking within your team
- Five steps to analyse a situation
- What critical thinking changes in management
- FAQ on critical thinking
Key takeaways
- Critical thinking is presented as an essential managerial mindset for navigating complex, information-saturated environments.
- It relies on awareness of cognitive biases, such as confirmation bias, availability bias, optimism bias and conformity bias, to avoid errors in judgement.
- Managers need to foster “collective lucidity” by encouraging different viewpoints and constructive questioning.
- Practical tools include written memos, with arguments for and against, appointing a “devil’s advocate”, and diversifying sources of information.
- The result is more robust, inclusive and relevant decision-making, as well as fewer collective errors.
As projects and change accelerate, artificial intelligence develops at a rapid pace, and paradoxical demands multiply, the role of the manager is becoming increasingly complex. It requires critical thinking and discernment. So how can managers practise and develop critical thinking?
What are the two main principles of critical thinking?
Definition and role
Critical thinking is the ability to analyse and evaluate one’s own thinking in order to improve it.
In 2008, Dr Richard Paul and Dr Linda Elder defined it as the art of analysing and evaluating thinking with a view to improving it, in their Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking: Concepts and Tools.
In management, it is more than a skill. It is a mindset. It influences the quality of decisions, team cohesion and collective lucidity.
Sociologist Gérald Bronner reminds us that, in a world saturated with information, we need to learn how to verify sources and remain alert to reasoning errors. Gérald Bronner is a specialist in critical thinking and, in 2025, delivered a series of lectures at the Sorbonne entitled Developing Critical Thinking in a World of Disinformation.
A skill closely linked to the managerial role
Managers play a key role in organisations: helping informed decisions emerge in environments that are sometimes complex or contradictory. Frédéric Fréry, a researcher and professor of management, describes the manager as the “guardian of collective lucidity”. This means welcoming diverse points of view and arbitrating with courage.
Cognitive biases: the starting point for practising critical thinking
Why understanding your biases is essential
Cognitive biases are mental shortcuts. These mechanisms help us act quickly, but they can distort our decisions. They are always contextual and depend on the system in which we operate.
This is highlighted by Albert Moukheiber, neuroscientist and author of Neuromania (2025) and Your Brain is Playing Tricks on You (2019). Without awareness of these biases, critical thinking cannot fully develop.
Common examples in management
- Confirmation bias: looking for information that confirms our existing opinion.
- Availability bias: giving priority to information that is easy to access.
- Optimism bias: underestimating risks.
- Lazy thinking: following intuition without checking.
- Group effects: conforming to the majority, even when it is wrong.
These biases can limit innovation and reinforce micromanagement.
2-days course
From awareness to critical action
Identifying biases is the first step. Managers can then diversify their sources, challenge their ideas and build a culture of methodical doubt.
François Hubault, lecturer at Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, refers to this as “creating disputes”. In other words, bringing different points of view into dialogue in order to find common ground.
Practising critical thinking every day
Moving from automatic mode to adaptive mode
Jacques Fradin, a behavioural and cognitive specialist, distinguishes between automatic mode and adaptive mode. Automatic mode is based on routine, certainty and control. Adaptive mode is based on curiosity, nuance and flexibility.
In stressful situations, automatic mode tends to dominate. It provides reassurance, but limits reflection.
Adaptive mode creates space for critical thinking. It encourages people to explore new solutions, accept uncertainty and work with greater nuance.
Creating the conditions for questioning
A safe environment encourages dialogue. Psychological safety makes it possible to doubt, challenge and ask questions without fear.
The written memo technique helps avoid herd thinking: before the discussion, each participant prepares one argument in favour and one argument against.
The manager also values divergent viewpoints and encourages active listening.
Practical tips to stimulate critical thinking within your team
- Change your sources: deliberately consult media, experts or viewpoints you rarely read.
- Appoint a “devil’s advocate”: ask someone to challenge the majority view during a meeting.
- Use written memos: ask everyone to prepare one argument for and one argument against before a debate.
- Vary meeting formats: alternate between oral discussion, visual brainstorming and written debates.
- Encourage curiosity: set aside 10 minutes at the end of meetings to explore a new idea or a lesson learned.
Five steps to analyse a situation
- Stop and reflect.
- Identify assumptions.
- Assess the information.
- Draw logical conclusions.
- Implement and communicate the action plan.
These steps, taken from Cegos training courses, help structure thinking and reduce biased decision-making.
1-day course
What critical thinking changes in management
More robust and inclusive decisions
By reducing the impact of biases, managers make fairer decisions. Arbitrations are based on verified facts and a variety of viewpoints.
This also reduces collective errors, as described by researcher Christian Morel in Absurd Decisions, a topic he has also addressed in a lecture for the Sorbonne Faculty of Health.
A lever for innovation and cooperation
Active critical thinking supports collective intelligence. It encourages subsidiarity: giving teams the freedom to act within their field of expertise.
By confronting ideas, teams develop new solutions that are better adapted to operational realities.
A shared responsibility
Critical thinking is both a personal and collective commitment. It requires ongoing practice. It is not an attitude of distrust, but an act of responsibility.
This article was originally written by Catherine Jacquet and published on cegos.fr
FAQ on critical thinking
What is critical thinking?
Critical thinking is the ability to analyse information objectively, question assumptions, evaluate evidence and draw reasoned conclusions. It involves reflecting on your own thinking rather than accepting ideas at face value. In management, critical thinking helps leaders make better decisions and respond effectively to complex situations.
Why is critical thinking important for managers?
Managers make decisions that affect people, projects and business performance. Critical thinking helps them assess situations more objectively, challenge assumptions, consider different perspectives and reduce the influence of cognitive biases. This leads to more robust decisions, better collaboration and greater team trust.
What are cognitive biases?
Cognitive biases are unconscious mental shortcuts that help us process information quickly. While they are useful in everyday life, they can also distort judgement and lead to poor decisions. Common examples include confirmation bias, availability bias and optimism bias. Recognising these biases is the first step towards making more balanced decisions.
How can managers develop critical thinking?
Critical thinking can be developed through regular practice. Managers can strengthen it by questioning their assumptions, seeking diverse perspectives, verifying information from multiple sources, encouraging constructive debate and reflecting on decisions after they have been made.
What is psychological safety and why does it matter?
Psychological safety is a work environment where people feel comfortable asking questions, expressing different opinions and challenging ideas without fear of negative consequences. It creates the conditions for open dialogue, better decision-making and stronger critical thinking within teams.
Is critical thinking still important in the age of AI?
More than ever. While AI can analyse data, generate content and support decision-making, it cannot replace human judgement. Managers need critical thinking to evaluate AI-generated outputs, identify potential errors or bias, consider context and make responsible decisions. As AI becomes part of everyday work, critical thinking is becoming an increasingly important leadership capability.
Catherine Jacquet
Catherine Jacquet is Director of CSR, Management & Leadership Projects at Cegos Group. Contributor to the collective work The Routledge Handbook of Collective Intelligence for Democracy and Governance (2023), she brings her unique expertise to support organizational transformation.An expert in organizational sociology, collective intelligence, and sustainable development, she supports companies and institutions in their cultural and strategic transitions, aligned with the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.With several years of experience in management, communication, and CSR, she designs learning-oriented and inclusive approaches to unlock team potential.Her commitment to Cegos reflects a clear ambition: to raise leaders’ level of awareness and strengthen their capacity to act in order to meet tomorrow’s challenges.
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