對于某個觀點，你應該質疑還是全盤接受呢？你的信念是否堅如磐石？對于人們普遍相信的觀點呢？你真的會接受它們嗎？

說自己尋求真理是一回事，但主動質疑假設、你自己的信念以及大家的普遍觀點，則完全是另外一回事。這需要一套被稱為“批判性思維”的技能。這個概念可以追溯到古希臘哲學家蘇格拉底以及與之同名的方法，即挑戰假設，從而得出合乎邏輯和客觀的結論。

批判性思維是企業成功的根本，正如它之于科技的進步和現代文明的發展。然而，批判性思維顯然非常匱乏。就算是在如今這個高度開明的時期，很多流行已久的謬論仍然被那些本該睿智的人們廣泛接受。

就以紅得發紫的情感智力（EI）為例。EI已經成為一項備受追捧的素質，以至于它幾乎成了對高管和企業領導者的要求之一。它迅速出現在許多招聘廣告中。有些公司甚至認為EI是所有新人融入自身文化的必備條件。

然而，并沒有確鑿的科學證據表明，對眾多工作崗位來說，強大的EI能力都預示著良好的業績。正如沃頓商學院教授亞當?格蘭特所說，EI毫無疑問有可操控的一面，很容易被用來篡改EQ自評測試，以及控制他人。

作為流行一時的概念，EI并非原本所說的靈丹妙藥，它固然很重要，但創業精神應該最為重要。在現代商業時代，一個普遍觀點是如果你想獲得成功，就必須辭職，然后自己當老板。許多作者和博主都做出過這種令人懷疑的論斷。雖然對某些人來說情況可能是這樣，但除非你親身體驗，否則你根本無從得知它正確與否。

真實情況是，我們大多數人根本不適合創業。無論是創辦一家初創型企業，經營一家小公司還是當自由職業者，所有過來人都會告訴你，每一條路都存在特有的挑戰和壓力。根本沒有數據或邏輯能表明你或者其他人會在這方面或者那方面做得更好。

此外，我知道在蘋果、谷歌、微軟和Facebook等幾百家大公司，無數員工都熱愛自己的工作，而且都在自己的崗位上有極為出色的表現。同樣的，我也不會用我23年的高科技行業從業經驗來交換任何東西。但是，創業熱潮已經捕獲了整整一代人。

如果人們放棄批判性思維，他們就會做出糟糕的人生抉擇，并為過度宣傳的風潮推波助瀾。如果企業領導者這樣做，就會出現災難性后果。

我們經常說到自大的危險，但如果CEO們聰明到不至于一敗涂地，那么自大往往是因為他們讓過度膨脹的自我支配了自己的理智。他們對邏輯和理性視而不見，反而青睞奇幻思維。他們基于毫無根據的信念得出錯誤的結論。他們任由過度自信否決了自己更好的判斷。許多公司都是這樣陷入了沉淪。

如果大家想知道那些最棒的CEO怎樣代表自己的公司做出關鍵決策，說到底就是批判性思維。這些CEO告訴他們的管理團隊要實實在在，直言不諱。他們會問許多問題，會索要全部數據，會挑戰假設，并進行詳盡的探討。他們會仔細聆聽，有時會從自己信任的指導者那里尋求建議。最終，他們相信自己的直覺并作出決定。這些杰出人士就是這樣進行出色的決策。大家也應該如此。

本文作者史蒂夫?托巴克是一位管理顧問和專欄作家，著有《真正的領導者不會跟從：在創業時代脫穎而出》（Real Leaders Don’t Follow: Being Extraordinary in the Age of the Entrepreneur）

作者：Steve Tobak

譯者：Charlie

審校：詹妮

Do you question assumptions or simply accept them? Are your own beliefs cast in stone? What about commonly held beliefs? Do you accept them at face value?

It’s one thing to say you seek the truth, but actively questioning assumptions, your own beliefs and common doctrine is another matter entirely. That requires a skillset known as critical thinking, a concept that dates back to the Greek philosopher Socrates and his eponymous method of challenging assumptions to reach logical and objective conclusions.

Critical thinking is as fundamental to business success as it’s been to the advancement of technology and the advent of modern civilization. And yet, it’s apparently in very short supply. Even in these highly enlightened times, an embarrassing number of popular myths gain wide acceptance among otherwise intelligent people.

Take the popular hype over emotional intelligence (EI), for example. EI has become such a sought after quality that it’s almost a requirement for executives and business leaders. It has rapidly become ubiquitous on many job specifications. And some companies even consider it a necessity for all new hires to fit into their company culture.

Meanwhile, we have yet to see hard scientific evidence that EI is predictive of positive outcomes across a wide range of job functions. As Wharton professor Adam Grant points out, EI has a decidedly manipulative aspect that can easily be used to game the self-reported EQ tests and control others.

In terms of fads that are not the panacea they’ve been made out to be, EI is big but entrepreneurship must be the biggest. A popular myth of the modern business era is that, if you want to get ahead in life, you must quit your job and become your own boss. Many authors and bloggers have made that dubious claim, and while it may be true for some, there’s no way to know until after you’ve taken the plunge.

The truth is that most of us are simply not cut out for entrepreneurship. Whether it’s running a startup, owning a small business or being self-employed, anyone who’s been there will tell you that each of those scenarios has its own set of challenges and stresses. And there simply is no data or logic to support the assumption that you or anyone else will be better off one way or the other.

Besides, I know there are countless employees at companies like Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebookand hundreds of great companies that love their jobs and do extremely well for themselves. Likewise, I wouldn’t trade my 23-year career in the high-tech industry for anything. And yet, entrepreneur mania has gripped an entire generation.

When people abandon critical thinking, they make bad life decisions and fuel overhyped fads. When business leaders do it, the results can spell disaster.

We often talk about the perils of hubris, but when CEOs who are smart enough to know better crash and burn, it’s usually because they let their overblown egos overrule their intellect. They ignore logic and reason in favor of magical thinking. They draw erroneous conclusions based on unsupported beliefs. They let overconfidence veto their better judgement. That’s howmany companies fail.

If you want to know how the best CEOs make critical decisions on behalf of their companies, it comes down to critical thinking. These CEOs tell their management teams to be completely honest and forthcoming. They ask lots of questions. They ask for all the data. They challenge assumptions. They let them hash it out. They listen carefully. Sometimes they seek advice from trusted mentors. Finally, they trust their gut and make the final call. That’s how the great ones make good decisions. So should you.

Steve Tobak is a management consultant, columnist and author of “Real Leaders Don’t Follow: Being Extraordinary in the Age of the Entrepreneur.”