Generalization is the Enemy of Strategy

I often say that generalizations are a sign of lazy thinking. When you put a person, a market, or a problem into a pre-made box, you stop thinking. You miss the nuance.

One of our core values at C-Suite Coach is Be Curious. For me, this is not just a soft skill. It is a survival mechanism that turned into a strategic superpower.

For much of my career, I was the Only. The only woman, the only Black person, or the youngest person in the room. I could have generalized those rooms. I could have decided that everyone there was an enemy.

But I did not have the luxury of lazy thinking. I had to look past the surface. I had to find the point of connection with people who looked nothing like me.

That experience taught me to interrupt my own assumptions. Now, when I catch myself making a snap judgment, I stop. I ask: What else could be true here?

If you want to be a better leader, stop looking for the pattern. Start looking for the person.