Just read this Harvard Business Review piece on the 4 types of thinking leaders need to master, and it hit close to home.

I’ve seen a lot of change in my career, specially in the last 3 years, and Ican tell you that being technically sharp isn’t enough when you’re leading through complex changes.

The article breaks it down into four key areas: - Strategic thinking for long-term vision - Systems thinking for understanding dependencies - Critical thinking for problem-solving - Creative thinking for innovation

What struck me most was how different situations demand different thinking modes. During our integration, I found myself switching between all four constantly - mapping out strategic alignment one day, then diving into system interdependencies the next.

The reality is that most of us got promoted because we could solve technical problems well. But leading teams through acquisitions, AI implementation, or major transformations? That requires a completely different skillset.

Worth a read if you’re in engineering leadership or aspiring to be.

https://hbr.org/2025/02/the-4-types-of-thinking-leaders-need-to-practice-and-teach