Good morning! Thanks for reading. In this week’s edition:
The curated stuff in Sunday Morning Coffee
Deep dive: Leaders need to process information, not just consume
☕Sunday Morning Coffee
As you enjoy your Sunday morning beverage, check out some motivation, recommendations, and a mantra from me below:
🚀Book:
A detailed account, and the first volume in the Liberation Series, by Rick Atkinson: An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa, 1942-1943.
🔥Motivation for Sunday:
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”
—Aesop
➡️Today’s mantra:
“Pause. Reflect.”
This week’s Deep Dive: Processing vs. Consuming: A Leader’s Guide to Critical Thinking
Summary: The skill to process information leads to better outcomes, more clarity, and better leadership.
Why it matters: Processing information and critical thinking are foundational leadership skills.
Dive In:
We’re drowning in information. Slack messages, project updates, industry trends, leadership advice—it never stops. And here’s the uncomfortable truth: most of us are just consuming it, not processing it.
There’s a massive difference between the two, and it’s costing you clarity as a leader.
When you consume information, you’re letting it wash over you. You read the email. You nod at the article. You sit through the meeting. But nothing sticks. Nothing changes. You’re a passive recipient, and that’s exactly why you feel overwhelmed.
Processing information? That’s different. That’s active. That’s where critical thinking lives.
The Stoics understood this better than most. Marcus Aurelius didn’t just read philosophy—he wrestled with it. His Meditations wasn’t a book report; it was a processing journal. He took ideas, questioned them, applied them to his specific context as an emperor, and formed his own conclusions.
That’s the gap most managers miss. They collect frameworks and best practices like trading cards, but never truly integrate them into their leadership style.
How to Actually Process Information
Here’s what processing looks like in practice:
Question your first reaction. When you read that your team missed a deadline, your instinct might be frustration. A Stoic would pause and ask: “Is this within my control? What can I actually influence here?” That pause—that’s processing. You’re not just reacting; you’re examining the situation through a lens.
Connect it to what you already know. Don’t let new information exist in isolation. When you learn a new management technique, ask yourself: “How does this relate to what I’ve seen work? Where have I seen this fail?” Your experience is data. Use it.
Test it against reality. The Stoics were obsessed with practical philosophy—ideas that worked in the messy real world. When someone tells you that radical candor is the answer, don’t just accept it. Think about your actual team. Your actual dynamics. Would this approach land with Sarah, who’s already defensive? Or with Tom, who thrives on direct feedback?
Write it down. This is non-negotiable. Processing happens when you articulate your thoughts. Even if it’s just bullet points in an app, the act of writing forces you to clarify what you actually think versus what you think you should think.
Apply it deliberately. Pick one idea and use it this week. Not five ideas. One. See what happens. That’s how you move from theoretical knowledge to embodied wisdom.
The Real Work
Critical thinking isn’t complicated, but it is uncomfortable. It requires you to slow down in a world that rewards speed. It demands you form your own opinions when it’s easier to parrot what everyone else is saying.
But this is where you separate yourself as a leader. Anyone can consume. Processing is what transforms information into insight, and insight into impact.
This is where you must be cautious; don’t let AI do the thinking for you. Use AI for what it is: a tool, a collaborator.
Marcus Aurelius had an empire to run. You have a team to lead. Neither of you has time to waste on information that doesn’t make you better.
So stop consuming. Start processing.
Your clarity depends on it.
➡️Join the conversation: how do you turn information into insight?
🎯Humanpathic is here to help mid-level managers, project managers, team leaders, and those looking to improve their leadership daily. Sharing experience-based leadership tips, with a touch of humanities-focused thought to help you thrive in our dynamic world. Join this growing leadership tribe by subscribing!
Processing ideas beats scrolling past them. Hit subscribe and let’s think deeper together:
If this resonated, forward it to someone who leads with purpose:
➡️Do you have a specific leadership challenge you need help with? Send it to me:
Thank you for reading. If you have any questions or feedback, please don’t hesitate to let me know!
Cheers!
Vincent