Metacognition: Why You Think the Way You Do
As a leadership coach, I get called in when a client is facing a challenge they’ve been running into again and again. They've tried a variety of different solutions, but nothing has stuck. They’re overloaded with meetings and an endless to-do list, or their team is not performing well. Or, they keep butting heads with a particular colleague. Something about how they lead is not working well in their work environment.
My job is to help that leader look at their approach from a birds-eye view and figure out what needs to change. All successful leaders have built up a set of principles and beliefs that guide how they lead. Over time, this set of guidelines becomes instinctive. The leaders don’t question why they behave or respond in a certain way to a given situation.
But when leaders transition to a new role, they must revisit their assumptions. They need to question whether their prior strategies are serving them in their new role. Oftentimes, the new environment demands different behaviors and beliefs. If a leader doesn’t adapt their leadership style to the demands of their new role, they’ll start feeling overwhelmed and ineffective. They'll likely experience a problem I call “leadership shock”.
In a new role, leaders need to be metacognitive—they need to think about how they think. They must question why a certain action or leadership principle is appropriate. They also need to consider what in their past experience led to that belief.
Beyond an awareness of what you think, metacognition delves into why you think that way. It’s an understanding of one’s thought processes and the patterns behind them.
You might be thinking, What does this have to do with business? My answer to you is—everything. Mindfulness and intentionality has a place in business leadership. Here are a few scenarios where being metacognitive can help:
Leadership transitions: A new CEO’s company is facing declining market share and low employee morale. They implemented strategies that worked in their previous leadership role as head of the business unit (BU). Yet, they're still struggling to inspire change and drive growth.
Application of metacognition: The CEO reflects on why their usual leadership approaches are not yielding the desired results. As a BU leader, he had direct engagement with the people in the BU, but as a CEO he is more removed. They pivot their leadership style to focus on working through the executive team and providing employees more time for creativity. This shift leads to improved leadership engagement and innovation. Ultimately, it results in a turnaround for the company's performance.
Team performance: A project manager is leading a cross-functional team tasked with launching a new product. Despite their best efforts, the project is falling behind schedule. Team members seem unmotivated and disengaged.
Application of metacognition: The project manager analyzes their leadership approach and impact on team dynamics. They reflect on their communication style, decision-making processes, and management of team resources. They realize that they are only focused on the task and note the team dynamic and culture. The manager adjusts their approach to give more time to the team members getting to know each other and creating a clear vision for the team. As a result, morale improves, collaboration increases, and the project meets its deadlines and goals.
Conflict Resolution: Two department heads have been at odds over budget allocations. This has caused tension and has limited collaboration between their teams. Traditional conflict resolution approaches have failed to resolve the issue. It threatens to escalate further.
Application of metacognition: The department heads consider the drivers of the conflict and their own roles in it. They examine their biases, communication patterns, and triggers. Through this metacognition, they gain insight into alternative perspectives and potential solutions. Approaching the conflict with empathy and curiosity, the executives reframe the conversation. They focus on shared goals, find common ground, and rebuild the trust between their teams.
The business environment: A technology company's leadership team is facing a sudden disruption in the market. A new competitor is offering a product at a fraction of the cost. The company's existing product line risks becoming obsolete and losing its market position.
Application of metacognition: The leadership team recognizes their own biases. That includes overconfidence in their business model and resistance to change. They analyze market trends, customer preferences, and competitor strategies with fresh eyes. They recognize that what worked in the past may no longer be effective in the current landscape. The team comes up with a strategy to innovate, pivot their product offerings, and stand out in the market. Tuned into emerging trends, they position their company to thrive amidst uncertainty.
Are you ready to try it out? Follow these tips to improve your metacognitive ability in your everyday life:
Find activities that make you feel present. This could include: going for a run, walking the dog, doing a breathing exercise, or meditating. Make sure the activity allows you to clear your mind completely and find your center.
Make time for those activities. This is one of the most challenging parts. Your schedule is already full, and this adds yet another item to your to-do list. But trust me, it’s worth it. Making time to do what makes you feel grounded will make you more effective in everything else you do.
When you find yourself wanting to react—pause. Notice when you feel your stress levels rising and wanting to escalate a situation. Instead, pause and give yourself some space to process. Try to take yourself out of the situation and look at it from one step back. Consider your natural instinct to react, and why you might have felt that way. What is it in your experience, skills, and the way you see the world that makes you want to react in that way?
Practice, practice, practice. Metacognition is a skill. The more you do it, the better you become. Trying to be metacognitive about situations that are not critical is a great place to start.
With these tips, your ability to reflect on your own thought processes will improve. You’ll come to an understanding of why you tend to do the things you do as a leader. Then, you’ll be able to decide whether that approach is effective in your current environment. With those intentional changes, you’ll be better able to navigate challenges.
Pete Steinberg is an elite rugby coach, leadership consultant, and bestselling author. He can help you and your organization overcome challenges and achieve unparalleled success. Pete’s first book, Leadership Shock, is now available for purchase at all major retailers. You can connect with Pete on LinkedIn and at PeteSteinberg.com.