We discuss awareness and judgement, two key words that business leaders should remember and respect.
Last month we discussed how bad leadership can impact an organisation. And harsh words we used too; in short, we concluded that poor leadership can create ignorant businesses which lack good judgement, and are thus led in a direction that is at best uneducated and at worst ill-informed and damaging. Such dynamics threaten a business’s potential for success, and can create friction between its leaders and followers.
Our analysis was informed by the opinions of Warren Bennis, an influential leadership author who has been consulted by four American presidents and numerous corporations around the world. In his mind, successful leaders of the past first and foremost “paid attention to what was going on” and then “determined what part of the events at hand would be important for the future of the organisation”. From this insight we can distil two key words that leaders should both remember and respect: awareness, and judgement.
Awareness: “having knowledge or perception of a situation or fact”
Knowledge is power. Leaders make better decisions and define clearer visions if they have knowledge or perception of the pertinent situations or facts. In a business context, situational awareness involves accessing knowledge on what is happening inside and outside of the organisation; from what is happening on the ground, to the opportunities and challenges that exist for management; and moreover, to the external opportunities and threats that are present in the marketplace, such as technological developments or economic conditions.
Leaders may not have time to research all of these things, and so must capitalise on strong and open lines of communication to inform them. Communication may begin via dialogue with other directors or managers, but may also extend to direct or indirect knowledge-sharing from the bottom-up, via employees, customers or suppliers. Accessing knowledge from outside collaborators could also help to improve external awareness.
Importantly, the task of improving awareness should be perceived as an opportunity, not a chore. Being self-aware and accepting that you do not know everything is a vital admission for leaders to accept.
Judgement: “the ability to make considered decisions or come to sensible conclusions”
Good judgement is often said to be instinctual, emerging from an innate, natural ability. Sometimes this holds true, but great leaders are likely to admit that over and above visceral instinct, good judgement is a product of strong awareness, information and knowledge. Importantly, this means that anyone – not just so-called natural leaders – can learn to improve their judgement and become a better leader.
Having an awareness of the pertinent situations or facts is thus vital to good judgement. And as discussed, awareness itself aids leadership, so it is no surprise that awareness and judgement go hand-in-hand. When it comes to decision making or defining your vision, let your awareness inform your thinking. Strong judgement is also independent rather than based on bias or emotion. So communication is again important; by consulting others you can build objective perspectives and form well-rounded conclusions. You need to be confident in your own power of judgement, but remember to be aware and value the perspectives and knowledge of others.
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