“The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks,” said Christopher Hitchens.
Is ‘thinking about how you think’ useful? Is there a Da Vinci code like way to solve business problems and invent? Just imagine you could create an entirely new profitable product category.
But what thinking process is required to create that breakthrough? What can we learn from the curious Renaissance genius, Leonardo da Vinci, engineer, architect, inventor and artist? Are there really 6 levels of thinking?
Benjamin Bloom, a psychologist, in 1956 developed a six level structure originally applied in education. Today, it’s a practical framework for managers decision making. In Kenya, competitive advantage depends on learning and adapting faster than competitors. Bloom's six levels serves as a roadmap for critical thinking, problem solving and creating what’s next.
At the ground floor level 1, businesses gather and organise essential information such as financial results, customer feedback, market intelligence, and competitor activities.
This knowledge forms the foundation for effective management but, by itself, does not improve performance. Here managers are asking what do we know? Prime example of level one is a hotel recording, occupancy, guest reviews, operating costs and competitor pricing.
Level 2 – Understand – make sense of information
At the understand level, managers interpret this information to identify patterns, explain trends, and develop a shared understanding of what is happening within the business and its environment.
They move beyond asking "What happened?" to asking "Why did it happen?" and "What does it mean for us?" Understand thinking focuses on interpreting information, data to develop a fact-based view of the company’s current situation, identifying trends, performance gaps and the leverage point strategic issues that matter most.
Level 3 – Apply – Turn knowledge into action
Apply perspective involves converting understanding into action by implementing proven management practices, analytical frameworks, benchmarks, and industry expertise to address the problems using approaches that have been successfully implemented elsewhere.
Here the stress is on using established methods to improve performance.
Level 4 – Analysis – think in systems
Taking on a systems thinking perspective, at the analysis level, managers examine the relationships between different parts of the organisation, identify root causes of problems, evaluate market forces, and understand the systemic drivers of success or failure.
Central to strategic thinking, at this level opportunities and constraints are revealed that are not immediately obvious from surface-level data.
Using general systems way of seeing, the aim here is to examine root causes, uncover hidden relationships and identify underlying structural factors driving performance.
Level 5 – Evaluate – make strategic decisions
A few floors up at level 5, managers exercise judgment by comparing strategic alternatives, weighing risks and rewards, allocating resources, and making informed decisions about investments, partnerships, products, and markets. Evaluation requires balancing evidence with experience to determine the most effective course of action in an uncertain, often constantly shifting ‘wicked’ environment.
Level 6 – Create – design the future
In the top floor penthouse suite called ‘create’, companies move beyond improving existing practices to designing entirely new products, services, business models, customer experiences, and strategies. What does not yet exist? This is the domain of innovation, entrepreneurship and genuine organisational transformation – with a focus on redefining markets, creating new sources of value, rather than mere competition.
Think across disciplines
Leonardo da Vinci, born in 1452 was a polymath who was able to playfully think across disciplines. Integrating knowledge with imagination and practical application, one can see how Leonardo operated across Bloom’s six levels of thinking.
At the remembering level, Leonardo accumulated an extraordinary body of knowledge in anatomy, engineering, mathematics, botany, optics, and art through relentless observation and note-taking.
At the understanding level, he sought to explain how natural systems worked, connecting ideas across disciplines rather than memorising isolated facts. At the applying level, he translated scientific understanding into practical innovations.
At the analysing level, he dissected human bodies, studied the mechanics of flight, and broke complex phenomena into their component parts to understand underlying principles.
At the evaluating level, Leonardo constantly tested, questioned, and refined his own ideas, comparing evidence with theory.
Finally, at the creating level 6 -- he combined knowledge from diverse fields to produce original masterpieces.
Leonardo moved among all six levels, demonstrating that true innovation emerges from mastering foundational knowledge, while synthesising ideas into new possibilities. Is it time for your next move?
David J. Abbott is a director at aCatalyst Consulting. [email protected]
