Critical thinking in leadership teams is not the norm. Too many meetings are focused on who's winning, who has the best idea, who's talking the loudest, etc. Steve Pearlman, a critical thinking expert, makes the analogy to poker. We hold our cards close and jockey to win. But then tell everyone else to show their cards so the team can win.


I learned so much about how critical thinking is a bit more complex than I knew and yet there are some key tricks we can all use to be more present, aware, and unbiased in our thought processes.



About Steve Pearlman


Since 1992, Steve has taught critical thinking and writing in higher education, including elite liberal arts colleges and state universities. In 2011, Steve founded one of the United States’ first departments in higher education specifically focused on teaching critical thinking skills. His work resulted in something exceptionally rare in academia: documented, campus-wide improvements in critical thinking.


A premiere expert in critical thinking, Steve has presented at countless educational institutions, conferences, and businesses about improving critical thinking and related habits of mind. He is frequently found in national and international media, including CBS Atlanta, The Hill, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Connecticut Today, First Coast Connect, The Nation Speaks, The Atlanta Journal Constitution, and Point of View Radio.


Devoted to the idea that everyone needs access to elite critical thinking skills, Steve founded The Critical Thinking Institute to bring his unique, proven methodology to the general public.


In addition to academic articles, Steve is the author of America’s Critical Thinking Crisis: The Failure and Promise of Education, as well as the host of the podcast (for educators), Headagogy.