Judgment – ElPropósito3 min read

Why will thinking for yourself matter more in the years ahead?

In February 2020, I shared an audiobook of Plato’s Apology, his account of the trial of Socrates, here on the blog. With AI now everywhere, I find myself returning to Socrates and asking how much we think for ourselves, and what we are doing as leaders to help our teams do the same.

My starting point was the public summary of an April Gartner report, which warns that relying too heavily on artificial intelligence can lead us to stop questioning its answers. The full report is behind a paywall. Reading the summary made me think we need to take a look at ourselves, too. We can ask our teams to think critically while also getting them used to waiting for our instructions.

I believe sound judgment will become increasingly important throughout this century. With more answers available, we need a clearer understanding of what those answers rest on before we act. As leaders, we have a part to play in helping people learn to think for themselves, even when it would be quicker to give them our answer. I want to know how well we are preparing our teams to make decisions when we are not there.

Socrates questioned what others believed they knew. In the Apology, Plato shows him examining that supposed wisdom. The idea often summed up as "I know that I know nothing" points to an important distinction: recognizing what we do not know, rather than assuming we know. I think accepting the limits of our knowledge can be difficult when we lead other people.

Being responsible for a decision can make us feel we need to have all the answers. And when we know the business and have spent years solving problems, it is easy to assume we already understand what is happening. That certainty can cut short a conversation that still has a lot to offer.

In 2023, I wrote about education and helping people discover things for themselves. That is also the idea behind Socratic midwifery. Plato describes how Socrates likens his role to that of a midwife: helping others develop their ideas and then examining those ideas with them. An idea can be our own and still be wrong. We need to look at what supports it and accept that we may have to let it go.

For those of us leading teams, this takes more than asking questions. If I ask a question but expect the exact answer I already have in mind, I leave very little room for the other person to think it through. And if someone challenges my proposal and I start defending it before I have heard them out, I can hardly expect them to speak up next time.

Of course, some decisions are ours to make, and sometimes we have to act on the information available. But we are also responsible for how we reach those decisions. A quick answer, whether it comes from a person or a tool, tells us little about how carefully we have thought it through.

For me, returning to Socrates makes a great deal of sense today. I believe part of our responsibility as leaders is to help others develop their judgment and be willing to have our own questioned. I need to look at how much space I make for that, and how I respond when someone sees things differently.

Warm regards and all the best,

Rodrigo Baccaro

Author: Rodrigo Baccaro

Linkedin

November 8, 2026