Leadership: Self-Deception and Fallibility

Question 1

Why Good Leaders Make Bad Decisions” by Andrew Campbell and colleagues (2009)

Answer 1

Pattern recognition

Emotional tags

Question 2

Pattern recognition

Answer 2

complex process that integrates information from as many as 30 parts of the brain and uses past experiences / judgements to make decisions

Question 3

Emotional tags

Answer 3

♣ process by which emotional information attaches itself to the thoughts and experiences stored in memory (tells us whether to pay attention to something or not, and what should happen)

Question 4

Red Flags

Process

Answer 4

Lay out the range of options

List the main decision makers

Choose one decision maker

Check for inappropriate self-interest or distorting attachments – bonds attached to a certain person, place, or thing

Check for misleading memories - memories that seem relevant but actually aren’t and lead us down the wrong path

Repeat the analysis with the next most influential person

Review the list of red flags you have identified

Question 5

Inappropriate self-interest

Answer 5

Use emotional information and perceive what you want to perceive

Question 6

Distorting attachments

Answer 6

When you have bonds with people, places or things that affect your decision making process.

Question 7

Injecting fresh experience or analysis

Answer 7

expose to new info / views

Question 8

Introducing further debate or challenge

Answer 8

confronts biases explicitly

Question 9

Imposing stronger governance

Answer 9

decision must be ratified at a higher level