The Challenge

In the early 2000s, the video game company Electronic Arts used the tagline “Challenge Everything.” Good for them, but they didn’t come up with this concept. It has been around since at least the 17th century and is commonly known as the scientific method. The scientific method is a process in which a problem or idea is tested and the resulting data analyzed, with the outcome fed back into the process to be retested.

This methodology has been packaged in a million ways—Six Sigma, Lean, Statistical Process Control, DMEDI, and many more. All are versions of the scientific method used in process-related fields and manufacturing. They all have their root in the scientific method and therefore share the same potential flaw.

The scientific method requires objective observation of the system and its changes in order to be accurate. This is problematic since people are biased, period. They just are. We tend to see what we want to see or expect to see.

As leaders, we like to think we’re objective. We pride ourselves on making data-driven decisions and following the facts wherever they lead. The uncomfortable truth is that we’re no more immune to bias than anyone else. In fact, our position might make us more susceptible to certain biases because people often tell us what they think we want to hear rather than what we need to know.

So how do we increase our objectivity when making critical decisions? How do we challenge everything, including our own assumptions?

Build a Team of Different Minds

Surround yourself with people who don’t think like you do. I’m not just talking about hiring people from different departments or backgrounds, though that helps. I’m talking about intentionally seeking out team members with different educational foundations and life experiences.

If you’re an engineer, include someone with a liberal arts background in your inner circle. If you grew up in privilege, include someone who had to fight for every opportunity. If you’re naturally optimistic, find the thoughtful pessimist who sees the risks you miss. If you’ve spent your entire career in one industry, bring in outsiders who ask naive questions that expose your blind spots.

These diverse perspectives act like multiple instruments in a scientific experiment. When different people observe the same situation and reach similar conclusions, you can be more confident in your assessment. When they disagree, you know you need to dig deeper.

Use the Red Team Approach

Military strategists have long used “red teams” specifically tasked with challenging assumptions and finding flaws in plans. As leaders, we can borrow this concept by formally assigning someone (or a small group) to argue against our proposed decisions.

This isn’t about being contrarian for the sake of argument. It’s about systematically examining our reasoning from every angle. Before implementing a major change, give your red team both the permission and the responsibility to poke holes in your logic. Ask them to find the fatal flaws, the unintended consequences, the scenarios where your plan fails spectacularly.

The key is making this a legitimate role, not a token gesture. The people challenging your ideas need to know they won’t be punished for doing their job well. In fact, they should be rewarded for finding problems before they become disasters.

Implement Decision Journals

One of the best ways to combat bias is to document not just what you decide, but why you decided it. Before making significant choices, write down your reasoning, your assumptions, the information you’re relying on, and what you expect to happen.

Then, months or years later, review these entries. Were your assumptions correct? Did the expected outcomes materialize? Where were you wrong, and, more importantly, why were you wrong? This practice reveals patterns in your thinking that expose the biases that have historically tripped you up.

I keep a journal where I record decisions (among many other things) along with my confidence level and reasoning. It’s humbling to look back and see how often I was certain about things that turned out to be completely wrong. But that humility is valuable. It makes me more cautious about being too confident in my current assessments.

The goal isn’t to become paralyzed by doubt or to second-guess every decision into oblivion. The goal is to recognize that challenge makes our decisions stronger. When we truly challenge everything, including our own thinking, we move closer to the truth.

Great leaders don’t just use the scientific method as a tool for their organizations; they apply it to their own decision-making as well. They build diverse teams that see what they cannot see, create formal processes for challenging their assumptions, and maintain honest records of their reasoning. They understand that objectivity isn’t a destination; it’s a discipline that requires constant practice in the Bison Way.