Comment: Larry argues that, unlike the common belief that thinking and writing are separate processes, experts often use writing as a means to think through complex ideas. He contrasts this with the approach taught in high school, where students are often instructed to complete their thinking before beginning to write. He suggests that the complexity of the ideas experts engage with necessitates the use of writing as a thinking tool.Unlike a journalist, almost surely you are using your writing process to help yourself think.
In other words, the thinking that you’re doing is at such a level of complexity that you have to use writing to help yourself do your thinking.
Credit: Larry McEnerney
Source: The Craft of Writing Effectively | Larry McEnerney
Quotations: Larry McEnerney (5)
Blog Posts: Larry McEnerney (1)
Image Credits: Pixabay
In-person, 7–11 September 2026, Warbrook House, Hampshire, UK
We are living and working in conditions of uncertainty, complexity, and rapid change. Many leadership approaches still rely on control, expertise, and tools that no longer fit the realities people face.
This week-long immersive workshop brings people together to practise Conversational Leadership as a shared, lived experience. It is not a training course but a space to slow down, think together, and explore how leadership emerges through dialogue, responsibility, and real engagement.