Most people solve problems by adjusting their actions.
A prudent few ask if the problem exists because something else is flawed.
Double-loop learning challenges the foundation of your thinking.
It digs into why you chose the system in the first place.
Or why the system is the system of choice at large.
Then, it rethinks the system.
Imagine you’re steering a ship.
Single-loop learning corrects the course when you drift.
Double-loop learning questions the map, the compass, and whether you’re heading to the right destination.
It’s messy and uncomfortable but ultimately helpful to you and those following you.
Organizations that stop at single-loop thinking focus on short-term metrics.
They reward “what works now” and avoid questioning the more significant “why.”
Double-loop thinkers are the revolutionaries who ask, “Why does this problem keep happening?” and “Are we doing this for the right reasons?”
Double-loop learning is hard work, and most leaders shy away from it.
It takes time.
It demands humility.
It demands resilience.
It demands the courage to challenge sacred assumptions.
But those who embrace it thrive.
“The biggest breakthroughs happen when we challenge the questions, not just the answers.” – Mike Brewer