A Rational Approach to Leadership and Management
A Rational Approach to Leadership and Management
The thing that separates you from all other animals, is your power to reason. It is your rational mind, that sets you apart from gorillas, monkeys, tigers and tadpoles.
Other animals are driven by two factors, their Instinct and the environment. But humans have an additional factor that allows us to do all the things that are distinctly human. That additional factor is the rational mind. It is the capacity to think rationally, to deduce consequences, to discover causes, and to think logically, that make us more than a mere, Naked Ape.
It is your rational mind that allows you to think about science, politics, economics, art, psychology, history, architecture, ethics, mathematics and technology. Animals can't do any of that, but humans can, because humans are the Rational Animal. Be a rational animal.
The advice I would like to offer is this:
Treat all problems and all people according to the principles of reason
Apply reason to every issue. And treat all people reasonably.
If you don't treat people reasonably, then you are treating them unreasonably, and NOBODY wants to be treated unreasonably. For best results, treat all people and all problems according to the principles of reason. The next question is.... what are "The principles of reason"?
Here are a few to consider.
1. Being a rational person means primarily: operate according to the facts, not your feelings
You know two things about the world around you: You know the facts, and you know how you feel about them.
But sometimes there is a battle between what you know to be the facts, and your feelings. For example:
Factually, you know you should do your homework. But emotionally you don't want to.
If you were a Fact-first kind of person, you would do your homework even if you were not in the mood.
If you were a Feelings-first kind of person, you would NOT do your homework, because you were not in the mood.
The point is this, the world operates according to the objective facts of reality. The world does NOT operate according to your mood. (As you may have noticed!)
So, a rational person complies with the facts; she does what she knows needs to be done, irrespective of whether she likes doing it, or not.
A non-rational, person does only what he wants to do, and he puts off doing things he does not like doing. An irrational person operates according to his mood, not his mind.
2. Being a rational person also means: be honest with yourself about the truth of the situation
Remember, facts are facts, whether you like them or not.
A rational person always looks honestly at the facts. Even facts that represent bad news. Even facts that seem to suggest your opinion was wrong.
A non-rational person engages in selective perception. They ignore the facts, they don't like. They evade evidence that contradicts their existing opinion.
They bend and buckle the facts to suit their assumptions. A non-rational person gets angry or upset when the facts prove him wrong. He fights all efforts to force a change of opinion.
On the other hand, a rational person is empowered to find out that his old thinking is wrong and is very keen to update his thinking and reformulate his theory of how the world works.
3. A rational person thinks first, then acts
Rational Rachel says to herself, "I will figure out what the right thing to do is, and then I will do that. I want to do the logically right thing."
A non-rational person acts firsts, and then, after he has acted, he tries to justify his actions. He acts according to whatever emotion is prevalent in the moment, and then after he has done something naughty, (because he felt like doing it, or eating it, or saying it) he then proceeds to try to justify why it was okay. Irrational Eric says to himself, "I will act according to how I feel. And then because I did it, it must be right."
In summary
Treat all problems and all people according to the principles of reason.
Being a rational person means primarily: operate according to the facts, not your feelings.
A rational person is NOT driven into action by their momentary emotions.
Being a rational person means be honest with yourself about the truth of the situation.
A rational person thinks first then acts.
A rational person does not act on whim.
Treat all problems and all people according to the principles of reason. We call this, Running on Reason.
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Definition: Rational leadership
Rational leadership is a leadership style where the manager uses clear facts, stays honest about what is real, thinks with logic before acting, and treats every person fairly. If any of these four habits is missing, the manager is no longer leading in a rational way.
Show CG4D Definition
- Bases every decision on objective facts, not feelings
- Faces all evidence with full honesty, even when it hurts
- Plans action through calm thought before any move
- Shows fair and even treatment to each person
Article Summary
When you lead with reason you put facts before feelings, face truth with honesty, think before you act and treat people fairly; this clear habit builds trust, sharpens choice and marks you out as a truly rational leader.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some questions that frequently get asked about this topic during our training sessions.
What is rational leadership?
How does fact-based decision making differ from gut feeling?
Why should a leader put facts before feelings?
How can I stay honest about reality when evidence hurts?
What simple steps help me think first and act later?
How does emotional control build trust in a team?
What does it mean to treat people reasonably at work?
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Did You Know: Key Statistics
The 2024 CIPD Employee Outlook survey found that 74% of UK staff trust leaders who back choices with clear facts, while only 28% trust leaders who rely mainly on gut feeling. McKinsey’s 2023 Global Leadership study reported that firms led by managers who show strong self-awareness and emotional control enjoy employee engagement scores that are 34% higher than those of their peers.About the Author: Chris Farmer
Chris Farmer is the founder of the Corporate Coach Group and has many years' experience in training leaders and managers, in both the public and private sectors, to achieve their organisational goals, especially during tough economic times. He is also well aware of the disciplines and problems associated with running a business.
Over the years, Chris has designed and delivered thousands of training programmes and has coached and motivated many management teams, groups and individuals. His training programmes are both structured and clear, designed to help delegates organise their thinking and, wherever necessary, to improve their techniques and skills.
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