The psychologist and professor at the Wharton School of Business, Adam Grant, identified four styles of thinking that are used to solve different problems in business.
1. Preacher
“When we are in preacher mode, we are convinced that we are right,” says Grant. From a shop assistant to a clergyman, this is the style you use when trying to convince others to accept your point of view.
2. Prosecutor
“When we work in the mode of the prosecutor, we are trying to prove that someone is wrong.”
3. Politician
It is not surprising that “when we work in a politician mode, we try to win the approval of our audience.”
4. Scientist
When you think like a scientist, “you prefer humility over pride and curiosity over conviction. You’re looking for reasons why you might be wrong, not just reasons why you must be right, ”Grant explains:
“I think so many of us spend too much time thinking like preachers, prosecutors and politicians. In the regime of the preacher and prosecutor, the person is right, and the rest are wrong, and he does not need to change his mind. In politician mode, I can say whatever you want to hear, but I will probably stand by my opinion. I pretend, not rethink. “
Reasoning like a scientist, a person evaluates his views more as hypotheses in need of confirmation or refutation. In this case, a change of opinion is not only not something humiliating and shameful – on the contrary, it is a sign of progress. This pushes a person not only to listen to other points of view, but also to look for evidence that contradicts his opinion.
A scientist’s mindset can be especially valuable to entrepreneurs, Grant said. One Italian study helped aspiring business owners look at their plans as hypotheses to be tested. Scientist-minded entrepreneurs made more than 40 times the revenue of those in the control group.
