Have you ever watched an expert solve a problem and thought it looked like magic because the steps involved weren’t obvious? That’s exactly what often happens in leadership. Managers make countless decisions every day, prioritize tasks, resolve conflicts, and develop strategies—usually without making their thought process explicit.

Of course, there is no simple step-by-step guide to good leadership. But Alex showed how we can make our thought processes more tangible with a combination of labeling, description, and storytelling. By consciously using terms for recurring activities – whether it’s “making decisions,” “managing conflicts,” “accepting realities,” “managing time and tasks,” or “working strategically” – managers can recognize their own patterns and make them understandable to others.

Why is this important?

• Greater transparency: Employees understand decisions better – even if they don’t always agree.
• Better onboarding of new managers: When leadership is no longer a black box, it’s easier to get started.
• Structure for your own decisions: Self-reflection becomes easier when you make your thought process conscious.
• More effective communication: Managers can create trust and clarity through conscious explanations.

Alex shared her own approach to structuring and reflecting on her decision-making processes as a managing director. By combining her experiences with concrete examples and stories, she made it clear how leadership skills can be developed and refined. New managers were able to take away valuable insights, while experienced leaders were encouraged to reflect more consciously on their own methods.