Leadership isn’t natural — but making intelligent decisions can be learned
Every day as a leader brings an endless flow of judgment calls, big and small. Even as you read this, you might be weighing where to focus your team’s efforts this quarter, who to hire for a role, or how to handle a slightly cheeky budget request from a colleague. You might be trying to decide whether to skip a meeting this afternoon, or how to tamp down a weird little disagreement so that it…
Leadership is a skill that can be honed through practice and deliberate decision-making. In the course of a typical day, leaders are constantly faced with a myriad of choices, from assigning team members to overseeing budget requests. While these situations may not always have clear-cut solutions, a strong leader possesses the ability to make well-informed decisions that optimize their team's chances of success.
This wisdom does not solely stem from years of experience; it also includes a set of intentional mental habits known as deliberate wisdom.
Deliberate wisdom is about learning to work smartly with the inherent limitations of our brains. Our brains have constraints when it comes to processing information, and when we ignore these limitations, we may miss crucial details, think less clearly, and even make regrettable decisions later on. To counteract this, wise leaders learn to widen their perspective in important situations while simultaneously reducing cognitive strain in less critical instances.
The "double unlock" strategy consists of two key components: widening our perspective and lightening the cognitive load. To widen our perspective, we need to understand that our brains only consciously process a fraction of the overwhelming amount of data they receive. Consequently, we tend to miss parts of the story and are unaware of what we're missing. Recognizing this, wise leaders consciously make an effort to broaden their view, asking questions like "What's another way of seeing this?" and "How could I test that?"
Additionally, leaders must be mindful of their mental starting point, as it shapes their perception of what they notice next. For instance, strong assumptions and mood can influence our focus, causing us to overlook valuable information. By being aware of these factors, leaders can actively adjust their mental focus. When faced with major decisions, applying a structured approach that evaluates multiple angles can guide leaders towards the best option rather than the easiest one.
To lighten the cognitive load, leaders should streamline processes where unnecessary. By doing so, they create mental bandwidth to tackle more significant tasks efficiently. The brain's central executive network, functioning as the conductor of our mental processes, plays a crucial role in managing focus, evaluating responses, and planning. By honing this network, leaders can improve their decision-making abilities and ultimately make smarter, better judgments.
Written by urgent.news from Big Think's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
