Scientific thinking is about questioning your assumptions and being open to change
Thinking like a scientist doesn’t mean donning a white coat and swapping your laptop for a microscope. It’s simply a rational and logical mindset that can easily be applied to your business strategies.
Scientists take natural assumptions as a starting point to create a hypothesis, then test for validity and verification using evidence collected through experimentation and data. They can then update, support or refute that hypothesis based on new information, allowing them to make rational and informed decisions.
Scientists possess many valuable skills that could easily be adopted by leaders in their business strategies.
Here’s a look at some examples of scientific thinking and business leaders who have taken this approach to achieve success.
Practice humility
In his book Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know, organisational psychologist Adam Grant defines scientific thinking as ‘favouring humility over pride and curiosity over conviction.’
Grant explains what psychologists call ‘cognitive entrenchment’. This is when you have so much knowledge in an area, you begin to take for granted assumptions that may need to be questioned. In a traditional, hierarchical-based business, this could apply to C-suite execs or managers who are unwilling to rethink their strategies or processes.
Ultimately, it’s a question of egos – “I am right because I am the boss”. But it’s interesting to note that around 53 percent of business leaders estimate that their uncontrollable egos could decrease their revenues by up to 15 percent.
Scientific thinking, on the other hand, is about questioning your assumptions and being open to change. Good leadership is not about thinking you know everything or being seen to know everything. An unwillingness to admit when you’re wrong or refusing to change can result in flawed assumptions and rash decision-making.
Just like a scientist, business leaders need to practise humility. This means admitting when you’re wrong, adapting to change and being willing to step out of your comfort zone.
Simply put, there’s no room for egos in business.
A famous example of humility in leadership is Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson. The English billionaire is well known for his approachable leadership style and for treating all employees as equals.
Branson believes that listening is one of the most important skills anyone can have.
“Listening enables us to learn from each other, from the marketplace and from mistakes that must be made in order to get anywhere that’s original or disruptive.”
Welcome opposing viewpoints
In science, it’s important to investigate anomalies which could make an assumption questionable. That is to say, anything unexpected that doesn’t fit or align with sought-after outcomes. In fact, thinking scientifically is just as much about looking for reasons that may prove you wrong as searching for ones that prove you right.
In a business environment, anomalies could be seen as differing opinions that may challenge your ideas and strategic approaches. Not just respecting but welcoming opposing viewpoints can help boost creativity and productivity in the workplace.
Indeed, a good leader doesn’t want to surround themselves with ‘yes men’ but rather people who are willing to seek out anomalies and challenge their hypotheses.
According to Dr Ahmad Badr, CEO and founding member of Knowledge Group Consulting, a good leader must have the courage of their convictions while remaining open to opposing opinions that run contrary to what they believe to be true.
Innovate through experimentation
When we talk about innovation, we don’t simply mean coming up with a ‘new idea’. In business terms, it can be defined as the process of translating an idea into a product or service that creates value. It could be a new offering or an existing product or service that’s been tweaked.
But to innovate, we need to experiment. In other words, we need to test the validity of an idea using research, data and feedback that will support or refute our hypothesis.
A simple example of business experimentation would involve customer interviews, researching competitors, creating a prototype, and presenting it to a focus group of prospective customers who can provide valuable feedback.
However, business leaders who take a scientific approach to experimentation also understand two key factors:
- Understanding when it’s time to pivot rather than getting their egos wrapped up in proving they were right
- To learn from and even embrace failure
Pivoting means to fundamentally, and sometimes drastically, change direction when you realise your product or service is not meeting the needs of the market. However, it requires a rational and humble scientific mindset. Pivoting is not a magic pill. In some cases, it can be a costly and risky step, and there’s no guarantee it will lead to success.
And as is often the case, it’s not easy for many at the top to admit they’re wrong or that their ‘brilliant idea’ isn’t working.
Scientists, however, can’t allow pride and ego to get in the way. If it’s not working, they have no choice but to change direction.
Walt Disney is a great example of successful pivoting. In 1928, when the film industry was evolving from silent movies to ‘talkies’, Disney struggled to get finance for developing his beloved Mickey Mouse creation. Undeterred, he changed direction and produced ‘Steamboat Willie’, the first-ever animated feature film with synchronised sound. The rest, as we know, is history.
Failure is also a fundamental part of scientific life and innovation. Without failure, we can never learn and move forward. Small-scale experiments enable businesses to recover quickly without too many collateral costs, while gaining valuable information that they can use to regroup and restart.
In the words of Microsoft Billionaire Bill Gates, ‘It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.’
Diversity and collaboration
One vital skill that scientists must possess is that of communication. A good scientist has the ability to work as a team member and collaborate with colleagues from around the world.
As a multicultural metropolis that fosters innovation, Dubai is a great example of diversity, cultural awareness and collaboration. In fact, it’s an ideal ecosystem for business managers with a scientific mindset.
With over 200 nationalities working in the UAE, the Emirates thrives on a working culture of different backgrounds, skills and viewpoints. Knowledge sharing, learning, networking and collaboration are fundamental to Dubai’s business ecosystem and are actively encouraged in the UAE free zones.
By thinking like a scientist, you will find it far easier to adapt and change to meet the challenges of today’s fast-paced, modern business world. It’s a humble, flexible and progressive approach that offers far more opportunities than stubbornly sticking to old standpoints and opinions.
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