“When it comes to establishing your worldview, I was curious, what newspapers and magazines did you regularly read before you were tapped for this to stay informed and to understand the world?
This is the question that Katie Couric asked Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Media critics have labeled the question gotcha journalism. When I look at the current Presidential campaign through a leadership lens, I not only think it was a fair question, I think it was an essential one.
One of the characteristics that I value in leaders is the ability to think critically , that is, to be intellectually curious, to entertain opposing viewpoints, to see the big picture, and to be able to anticipate the second, third, and fourth order consequences of the actions they take and the decisions they make. One of the clues to how a leader thinks is found in what they read. In my coaching practice, I will often ask a leader, “What are you reading? And I must say I usually get a specific answer such as the “Wall Street Journal, Jim Collins “Good to Great, “The Harvard Business Review, etc. And I will suggest other possibilities for new readings that may challenge that leader’s viewpoint. And most are willing to try those suggestions.
And when I have the opportunity hear an executive speak, I will often ask that person what they read. And sometimes the answer surprises the audience , as in “I just finished reading Aristotle’s “Neomachean Ethics and now I am reading David McCullough’s “John Adams.
Every so often I come across a leader who tells me they don’t read anything other than memos or emails. That kind of answer makes me worry about that leader’s ability to think critically. So Katie’s question was a fair one when it comes to trying to get insights about one’s leadership.