In time-limited contexts of risk and uncertainty, leadership decision making must be highly adaptive to changing conditions. The leader and the team must be both willing and to identify and evaluate options quickly and accurately. Training and simulation build readiness, experience reflected upon and used to gain greater sophistication builds expertise. But for leaders neither training nor experience can substitute for a lack of core thinking skills and the personal readiness to use them.

Critical thinking has been defined by the CJCS an essential for officers and enlisted personnel. Working with the advice and support of leaders and experts, civilian and military, retired and active, of the US Air Force, US Marine Corps, US Army, US Navy and Joint Special Operations, Insight Assessment has developed assessments calibrated for military professionals and students.

• INSIGHT Defense is a suite of professionally oriented tests to assess the essential leadership mindset and reasoning skills, including critical thinking, at all levels of the organization including field operations, senior leadership and business operations

• Military and Defense Critical Thinking Inventory (MDCTI) is an academically oriented assessment intended for use with undergraduate and graduate level students or applicants to military education programs and colleges

Insight Assessment thinking skills tests are used with enlisted personnel and officers up to the Staff & Command and War College levels to evaluate the entry level and exit level thinking skills of groups and individuals. They are used by the military academies for the evaluation of students and applicants. And they can be used with enlisted personnel to gather information about the job readiness of individuals providing business services and logistical support. Contact Insight Assessment to learn more about using these tools to determine if your organization’s people are willing and able to think.

Critical Thinking Identified As Military Desired Leadership Attribute