The Importance of Independent Thinking

Mu’adh ibn Jabal was forced to use his experience, faculty, and independent reasoning (ijtihad) in Yemen when explicit texts and rulings were absent; a trait of Mu'adh that the Prophet (ﷺ) praised.

In today's context, we would call this Adaptive Leadership; a skill which involves allows you to tackle problems that lack easy, technical answers. As an effective leader, you must move beyond the mindset of being right and embrace a learning mindset focused on what is possible. You must learn to be unafraid to be wrong.

This results in the required humility to "not know all" and grants you the space and curiosity to experiment with new solutions in a complex world, things that will set you apart as success comes. This independent reasoning is the hallmark of a leader who values questions as much as answers.

Consider this in your leadership journey: When faced with a new challenge, are you looking for a manual or asking, "What can I learn?".