Page 120 - 4- Leading_from_Within

Another problem that typically occurs with respect to organizational
judgment is that top management tends to hire employees that are likely to

make the same judgment calls that they would. This is part of the reason
that management often hires people like themselves. Obviously, this
precludes obtaining diverse and innovative input into the decision-making
process leading to a judgment.

All leaders, regardless of the level in the organization in which they
function, are engaged in making judgments. The difference between
judgment and decision-making is that making a decision usually happens
in a moment, when the decision is made. Judgment is a process that
unfolds over time that typically involves three critical areas:

• Personnel policies and staffing
• The strategic direction of the organization and its activities
• Crises that need to be resolved, which are usually under the pressure

of time. 139

According to leadership experts Noel Tichy and Warren Bennis, judgment
calls about people are the most critical ones that leaders have to make.
140
This is because the members of the organization have a huge impact on
everything it does. This includes the Board, who has the responsibility to

choose who should be hired to lead the organization. Clearly, once the
right people are on the team, it is then possible to set an appropriate
strategy and deal with any crises.

Judgments about people are particularly difficult to make because of the

complexity of human interrelationships. Personality and emotional issues
can significantly alter what might appear to be a sound judgment in hiring
or involving people in the organization. A highly skilled individual may
have a negative attitude that hinders the effectiveness of the organization.

139 Noel Tichy and Chris DeRose, “Wanted: CEO with Extraordinary Leadership Judgment,”
http://www.noeltichy.com/pdfs/TichyDeRoseARTICLEDRAFT.pdf., and “Leadership Judgment: Without It
Nothing Else Matters,”
http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/58085/277_ftp.pdf;jsessionid=860E1F74F5511FF
8D2C74BA259679CCD?sequence=1.
140 Noel M. Tichy and Warren G. Bennis, “How Winning Leaders Make Great Calls.
http://sitemaker.umich.edu/umhs-talentmanagement/files/judgement.pdf.

David Kolzow 120