Project School Library Breakfast Meeting 9

21st November 2015 Sheraton Hotel & Towers, Ikeja

Thinking: The Inner Life of the Mind

Richard O. Ikiebe

Definitions

Thinking is “the alert, meticulous, probing, logical critical use of the mind.” J. I. Parker

2

Thinking: the act of manipulating information in the mind to form concepts, to reason, to engage in problem solving, and to make decisions

Thinking: The act of engaging in a mental process - thinking produces thoughts. A thought may be an idea, an image, a sound or even an emotional feeling that arises from the brain

Dr. J. I Parker

Introduction

Thinking is a vast area of Leadership & Cognitive studies

It is a type of mental process – something that individuals do with their minds

3

The general scope of a mental process includes perception, memory, thinking, volition, and emotion

Intelligence Enables Humans to Think and Experience

To retain and use language to communicate to form and hold concepts to imagine to learn to understand To reason and apply logic to comprehend ideas to solve problems to make decisions to plan

4

Through intelligence, humans possess abilities:

The Inner Life of the Mind

The inner life of the mind is perhaps the most neglected area in the experience of living Humans alone have capacity for self-awareness and for thinking themselves into problems and out of problems Most other animals operate on the basis of instincts Thinking is the foundation for human experiences whether guided or misguided

5

6

Human’s ability to think is a stewardship for which we

would be accountable Neglected leads to loss, but when put to the right use is

highly profitable

AN UNTHINKING GENERATION

7

The Bondage of Groupthink

Our generation’s rejection of vigorous thinking, and its preference for contracted thinking has placed many of us in bondage of ‘group think’ – where others think for us

8

Fat Minds

“We live in a war zone against independent thinking.” Pace and pressure of today’s life make finding time for reflection difficult ‘Leaders’ play roles flung at them; investment little thought of their own!

Dr. Os Guinness, Thinker & Author of Fit Bodies, Fat Minds

Sustained & Unrelenting Thinking

Socrates said, “The unexamined (unthinking) life is not worth living.” Refusal or failure to think is not limited to any one race, or group; it is everywhere No (nation or firm) could rise above the collective thinking level of its leaders and people - Voltaire Collective thinking level reflects the level of development in the company or nation

A Conformist Society

Thinking, on its own, is a hard undertaking But thinking in a largely unthinking and unquestioning age is twice as hard People of purpose, must break ranks with a thoughtless society in a conformist age Intelligence is a gift; thinking develops and promotes it… unwillingness to think is the highest form of laziness

UNTHINKING: THE CONSEQUENCES

12

Not thinking? Bad for Living

Thinking choices we make adversely affect our happiness and performance Through ineffective thinking (worry), we often sabotage our own happiness or life fulfilment We become our own worst enemies when we choose to worry rather than think productively Our choice also affect the happiness and wellbeing of others around us Shakespeare in Hamlet wrote: There is nothing good or bad but thinking makes it so.”

13

Faulty Thinking

Anger, self- pity, anxiety, depression and a feeling of rejection are all the products of faulty use of the mind – faulty thinking

Other problems related to faulty thinking may include: shyness, relationship conflicts, suspicion and mistrust, loneliness, lack of ability to concentrate, boredom

14

Why some People chose not to Think

It is too artificial or mechanical

It is too intellectual

It is too superficial, non-organic

It is too hard

Everyman or woman must take responsibility for who they are… to do this, they must own their mind and use it to think for themselves.

15

Thinking…Feeling…Action

Action is the end product of effective thinking

Thinking invariably affects how you feel and what you do...

We truncate the process if thinking does not end with positive action

Effective and independent thinking requires courage

16

CAN AFRICANS THINK? DO AFRICANS THINK? WILL AFRICANS THINK?

17

Lugard’s Characterisation of the Black Race

Lacking in (1) self- control, (2) discipline, and (3) foresight Full of (4) personal vanity, with (5) little sense of veracity, fond of music His (6) thoughts are concentrated on the events and feelings of the moment, and he (7) suffers little from the apprehension for the future, or grief for the past He (8) lacks the power of organisation, and is conspicuously (9) deficient in the management and control alike of men or business. He loves the (10) display of power, but fails to realize its responsibility

18

Why are we thus?

Can Black people build prosperous societies?

Most, if not all Black nations remain stuck in chronic poverty and under-development

Why? What are the root-causes?

19

Why We Are The Way We Are

Slavery denied us our best resources

Colonialism denied us our natural evolution

Ethnicity deadly rivalry and mutual distrust

Environment made us laidback

Government Corrupt, visionless, small-minded

Just about every reason cited for the backwardness of Black nations has been so debunked by time

20

The Power of Thought

The power of script… the written word Through the ages, Africa – home of humanity’s oldest race/civilisation has failed to produce for records his thoughts We have failed to documented our thoughts for succeeding generations and provide them with a foundation upon which to build For generations, we have reinvented the wheel over and over again And now we borrow the thoughts and ideas of others Alien thoughts, alien ideas… unresolvable alien problems

21

22

THINKING LEADERSHIP

What Separates Humans From Other Living Organisms is the Unique Ability to Think

Voltaire

“No problem can withstand the assault

of sustained thinking.”

Leaders Are Thinkers

Thinking is a key ingredient of leadership; it separates leaders from followers The old order remains if the old order is not rigorously questioned with renewed thinking “All human development, no matter what form it takes, must be outside the rules; otherwise, we would never have anything new.” Charles Kettering

Thinking Abilities • Think conceptually • Thinking analytically • Think strategically

– Think creatively • Think globally &

locally • Think markets • Think technologically • Focus on customers

• Challenge Status-quo & Opposition

• Spot opportunities • Set goals • Set and balance

agendas • Develop industry

knowledge • Develop networks

26

Thinking LEADERSHIP Transforming LEADERSHIP

Steve Jobs – Thinking as a forte

The whole world celebrated Steve Jobs only 56 at death Why? Jobs changed the way we think about computers and how we use them Time magazine said one of Job’s “most astounding feats”, was that he taught “an entire company to think like Steve Jobs.” Not surprising, Apple stocks were largely unaffected by the death

Triumphs of Thinking

Apple 1997 theme was “Think Differently” – it began the first major breakthrough for Apple

after a long stretch of failures – That year, iMac became the best selling

computer in America and the rebirth of Apple “The way… to survive is to innovate our way out...”

--- Streve Jobs At the heart of all innovation is thinking

Are You A Thinking Person?

Is Your Family a Thinking Family?

Is Your School a Thinking Scholl?

Is your Organisation a Thinking Organisation?

Who is thinking for You.. Your Family… Your School and for Your Organisation?

29

GOOD AND PRODUCTIVE THINKING

To worry is a form of thinking. But it is counter-productive; indeed it can be negative and toxic. It affects all around it. Fear and despair most times are products of “thinking.” A single train of thought can lead to a downward spiral into negativism created by baseless fear Fear leads to powerlessness and hopelessness Fear feeds on negative thinking and negative outlook

30

Initiates Positive Self-talk

Negative self talk intensifies depression/despair CHANGE the thinking process/patterns… the Mind affects mood When you change your mind, you are likely to change your MOOD What you focus your thoughts continuously on affects your outlook Two persons in similar circumstances react differently because they bring different OUTLOOKS to the table of thinking

31

Producing the New Normal

“Inside the farm of productive and successful innovation, there are no sacred cows.” QUESTION ALL YOUR ASSUMPTIONS Ask – Why? Is it necessary? Can we do it better? Thinking outside the box is the persistent interrogation of the old or current normal It can be neurotic. But if done well, it produces the new normal, which soon becomes out-dated The you begin all over again…

32