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Cognitive Flexibility and Decision-Making

Good decision-making skills are essential characteristics of a leader.

Good decision-making skills are essential characteristics of a leader. In the past, leaders often made decisions by relying solely on the opinion of one person without much input from others. Key decisions were overly rigid and caused problems that affected the profitability and sustainability of a business. In today’s environment, decision-making requires a unique approach and is most effective when flexibility is an option. Cognitive flexibility is an important skill that enhances the decision-making process by the implementation of flexible, deliberate, and constructive actions. Three key traits of cognitive flexibility are creativity in making decisions, adaptability, and mental agility throughout the process. Cognitive flexibility happens when individuals make important decisions with confidence, quickness, and agility.

In this course on Cognitive Flexibility and Decision-Making, you will uncover what cognitive flexibility is and how it can be applied during the decision-making process. You will also learn the benefits of creativity, adaptability, and mental agility in business. These lessons will review traits of cognitively flexible leaders, how to avoid mental rigidity, and forming strategies to create, improve, and maximize cognitive flexibility.

Learning Objectives:

  • Define cognitive flexibility
  • Recognize the problems associated with mental rigidity
  • Contrast the differences between mental agility and rigidity
  • Identify decision-making traits of cognitively flexible people

Author: Pamela Manning

Duration: 17m · 6 lessons
Level: Intermediate
Language: English

What You'll Learn

  • Define cognitive flexibility and how it applies to the decision-making process
  • Recognize the problems associated with mental rigidity in leadership and decision-making
  • Contrast the differences between mental agility and rigidity
  • Identify the decision-making traits of cognitively flexible people
  • Explore the benefits of creativity, adaptability, and mental agility in business
  • Form strategies to create, improve, and maximize cognitive flexibility

Key Takeaways

  • Good decision-making skills are essential characteristics of a leader, and overly rigid decisions can affect the profitability and sustainability of a business.
  • Cognitive flexibility enhances the decision-making process through flexible, deliberate, and constructive actions.
  • Three key traits of cognitive flexibility are creativity in making decisions, adaptability, and mental agility throughout the process.
  • Cognitive flexibility happens when individuals make important decisions with confidence, quickness, and agility.
  • The course reviews the traits of cognitively flexible leaders and how to avoid mental rigidity.

Frequently Asked Questions

What will I learn in this course?

You will uncover what cognitive flexibility is and how it can be applied during the decision-making process, along with the benefits of creativity, adaptability, and mental agility in business. The course also covers the traits of cognitively flexible leaders, how to avoid mental rigidity, and forming strategies to create, improve, and maximize cognitive flexibility.

Who is this course for?

This course is geared toward leaders, as good decision-making skills are described as essential characteristics of a leader and the course reviews the traits of cognitively flexible leaders.

What are the key traits of cognitive flexibility covered?

The three key traits of cognitive flexibility covered are creativity in making decisions, adaptability, and mental agility throughout the process.

What topics do the lessons cover?

The lessons include an Introduction; Creativity, Adaptability, and Mental Agility; Drawbacks of Mental Rigidity; Decision-Making and Cognitive Flexibility; Traits of Cognitively Flexible People; and a Test Your Knowledge assessment.

Transcript

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(light music) Decision-making, creativity, and problem-solving are a few powerful and helpful skills that can help develop cognitive flexibility. But what are other traits that make up this important professional skill? In these lessons, we will define cognitive flexibility, identify disadvantages of being mentally rigid, demonstrate how cognitive flexibility aids in decision-making, and describe the traits of someone who has cognitive flexibility.

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