The 95% is the share of our thinking that happens below conscious awareness. Cognitive science puts deliberate, conscious thought at 5% or less of the total; the rest is shaping every decision a leader makes. Process-Oriented Leadership is a practice for noticing that layer and working with it, rather than being run by it.
Conscious thought is the tip of an enormous iceberg. It is the rule of thumb among cognitive scientists that unconscious thought is 95 percent of all thought—and that may be a serious underestimate. Moreover, the 95 percent below the surface of conscious awareness shapes and structures all conscious thought.
—Profs. George Lakoff & Mark Johnson, Philosophy in the FleshAs the quote from leading cognitive scientists Lakoff and Johnson above highlights, decades of research from cognitive science, neurobiology and psychology show that we use less than 5% of our cognitive processing power when we solely employ everyday consciousness.
The other more than 95% of our potential lies down in the semi-conscious or unconscious workspace. Yet it is shaping all of our conscious thought, and is also the place where those magical flow state experiences emanate from. It’s mind-blowing to consider the illusion we all subscribe to — that we’re consciously making all our decisions — when it’s this 95% zone that’s actually running the show. The data shows this is where our intuition, emotional intelligence, creativity, connectivity, inspiration and ability to think outside the box reside.
Our logical minds can only process about 4 bits of data at a time. While accurate stats vary, our 95% plus can process millions of times more data, millions of times faster.
These facts are often challenging, since we’ve been educated to focus on the use of the narrow band of our everyday consciousness — using logical analysis and being able to remember facts. But current research clearly shows that we actually need both systems functioning optimally to thrive.
During our evolution, that clear band of logical linear thinking kept things simple as we avoided predators, hunted for food, and looked for shelter. But even this logic was always ultimately informed by the powerhouse of the larger consciousness operating under the hood. Anyone who hunts, or knows a hunter, understands that their skill lies mostly in their intuitive senses far more than their logical ones.
Our culture has mostly lost its connection to this wise underlying resource, favoring a top-down approach in our education system, and therefore in our workplace. What is needed is a way to enhance the dialogue between both these two levels in us — to have each one complementing and assisting the other. (More on that in Beyond Thinking Fast and Slow.)
Process-Oriented Leadership training is designed to enable all participants — whether they’re simply leaders of their own self system, or of a workforce of thousands — to access, integrate and work with their 95%, and significantly upgrade their impact in life and as a leader. Our skills and tools have evolved from decades of research into the area, as they have from our own decades of facilitating leaders, teams and participants in our programs to evolve themselves into a whole new and upgraded way of functioning and thinking.
It’s clear that the rules are being shredded these days by disruptive technologies such as AI. In order to meet these new and challenging environments we need new and better tools. Process-Oriented Coaching and Leadership Training are those essential tools for this future, providing the crucial and powerful edge needed to navigate this rapidly changing world with nimbleness, flexibility and innovative responses. The ability to work with this 95% is the key to that edge.
The practical framework for developing it is the CHOICE™ model, and the capacity that opens the door to it is awareness.
Curious how this lands in your organization? The assistant can point you to the right program, or you can tell us what’s going on.
