Do you ever overthink? The good news is you are not alone. The bad news is it’s often not very good for business or great leaders.

Jeff Bezos attributes part of Amazon’s success to making the distinction between ‘Type 1’ or ‘Type 2’ decisions. He described Type 1 decisions as one-way doors. Irreversible. And Type 2 decisions as two-way doors. Reversible. Easy to undo. He argues most companies treat 90% of decisions like Type 1 when in reality, 90% of decisions are Type 2. Amazon treated the majority of decisions as Type 2 obviously and the results have made history.

Yesterday I noticed Steven Bartlett (of Diary of a CEO fame amongst others) reframing Type 2 decision-making as a personality trait of great leaders. He called it ‘mental liquidity’. The capacity to test things out quickly. To change your mind quickly if evidence contradicts you. To be able to hold your hand up to say ‘I’m wrong’. He called the opposite ‘ideological cement’. I’m sure we have all been guilty of being stuck in ideological cement. Unwilling to back down from an argument. Unwilling to test out someone else’s idea. Unwilling to even listen to someone else’s point of view perhaps?

So if you notice yourself overthinking, ask yourself: Is this a Type 1 or Type 2 decision? If it’s the latter, harness the liquid mentality mindset.