Not All Thinking is Growth: Stepping Out of Your Head

I stood in front of The Thinker during a recent visit to the Met. And it made me laugh a little… because I’ve been there.

Locked in my own head.

Running every scenario.

Playing out every conversation.

Wearing the title of “leader” while spinning in circles.

For a long time, I thought thinking was always productive.

But I’ve learned that not all thinking is healthy.

Sometimes, it’s just anxiety dressed up as strategy.

A way to avoid hard conversations.

A mask for perfectionism.

A stall tactic before taking action.

Great leadership does require reflection.

But the kind that leads to clarity, not paralysis.

That moves us toward people, not away from them.

That turns into aligned action—not just better spreadsheets or longer journal entries.

Not all thinking is growth. Some of it is fear in disguise.

The goal isn’t to stop thinking.

It’s to know when to get out of your head and back into your leadership.