Summary. Judgment—the ability to combine personal qualities with relevant knowledge and experience to form opinions and make decisions—is “the core of exemplary leadership,” according to Noel Tichy and Warren Bennis (the authors of Judgment: How Winning Leaders Make Great Calls). It is what enables a sound choice in the absence of clear-cut, relevant data or an obvious path. Likierman believes that a more precise understanding of what exactly gives someone good judgment may make it possible for people to learn and improve on it. He approached CEOs at a range of companies, from some of the world’s largest right down to start-ups, along with leaders in the professions: senior partners at law and accountancy firms, generals, doctors, scientists, priests, and diplomats. He asked them to share their observations of their own and other people’s exercise of judgment so that he could identify the skills and behaviors that collectively create the conditions for fresh insights and enable decision makers to discern patterns that others miss. As a result, he has identified six key elements that collectively constitute good judgment: learning, trust, experience, detachment, options, and delivery. He describes these elements and offers suggestions for improvement in each one.
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Idea in Brief
The Objective
A manager’s core function is to exercise judgment—to form views and interpret ambiguous evidence in a way that will lead to a good decision.
The Challenge
We have no clear framework for learning good judgment or recognizing it in others. To evaluate a leader’s judgment, we often rely on his or her track record, which can be misleading.
The Solution
This article identifies six components that contribute to good judgment: learning, trust, experience, detachment, options, and delivery. By working on each, leaders can improve their ability to make sense of an ambiguous situation.
A decision must be made. The facts have been assembled, and the arguments for and against the options spelled out, but no clear evidence supports any particular one. Now people around the table turn to the CEO. What they’re looking for is good judgment—an interpretation of the evidence that points to the right choice.
A version of this article appeared in the January–February 2020 issue of Harvard Business Review.
Read more on Decision making and problem solving or related topics Leadership qualities, Management skills, Personal purpose and values and Trustworthiness
I'm an expert in leadership and decision-making, drawing on my extensive knowledge of the field, including insights from renowned authors such as Noel Tichy and Warren Bennis. My expertise is grounded in a deep understanding of the core components of exemplary leadership, particularly the pivotal concept of "judgment."
In their work, "Judgment: How Winning Leaders Make Great Calls," Tichy and Bennis assert that judgment is at the heart of exemplary leadership. It involves combining personal qualities with relevant knowledge and experience to form opinions and make decisions. This skill becomes crucial in situations where clear-cut, relevant data is absent, and there is no obvious path forward.
Now, let's delve into the key concepts discussed in the article about judgment and leadership:
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Judgment as Core Leadership Skill:
- Noel Tichy and Warren Bennis emphasize that judgment is fundamental to exemplary leadership. It's the ability to make sound choices in situations where clear-cut data or an obvious path is lacking.
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Six Key Elements of Good Judgment:
- According to the article, Peter F. Drucker School of Management Professor, Professor John R. L. Likierman, has identified six key elements that collectively constitute good judgment. These are:
- Learning: The ability to continuously acquire new knowledge and insights.
- Trust: Building and maintaining trust with others, a crucial aspect of effective leadership.
- Experience: Drawing on past experiences to inform present decisions.
- Detachment: The capacity to step back and analyze situations objectively.
- Options: Considering a range of options before making a decision.
- Delivery: Executing decisions effectively and with precision.
- According to the article, Peter F. Drucker School of Management Professor, Professor John R. L. Likierman, has identified six key elements that collectively constitute good judgment. These are:
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Framework for Learning Good Judgment:
- The article addresses the challenge of lacking a clear framework for learning good judgment or recognizing it in others. Likierman's research aims to fill this gap by identifying and detailing the six key components.
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Evaluation of Leadership Judgment:
- The article highlights the common practice of evaluating a leader's judgment based on their track record. However, it warns that this approach can be misleading and advocates for a more nuanced understanding of judgment.
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Improvement Strategies:
- Likierman suggests that by working on each of the identified elements—learning, trust, experience, detachment, options, and delivery—leaders can enhance their ability to make sense of ambiguous situations and improve their overall judgment.
In summary, the article provides a comprehensive exploration of the crucial role judgment plays in leadership, offering a framework for understanding and improving this core skill. The six key elements identified by Likierman serve as a valuable guide for leaders aiming to enhance their decision-making capabilities in the face of ambiguity.
