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* The need is to be seen as powerful mon cognitive bias in high-power lead- * Override the latent risk-averse
leaders' exhibit amplified confidence in ers that leads to an overestimation of mechanisms of the human brain with
their own views. Confidence is per- their influence over outcomes and fu- structured thinking procedures such as
ceived by many as an important at- ture events. the Quadra Brain Affirmation Ideation
tribute of leadership. technique, which helps override the
* Powerful individuals display a higher brain's natural tendency to focus on
Many powerful individuals, then, con- propensity for loss aversion than gain what could go wrong by following a
sider seeking advice to be a sign of maximization. Daniel Kahneman and series of pre-defined steps that then
weakness and feel compelled to project Amos Tversky's Nobel Prize-winning evolve into spontaneous positive pat-
a firm belief in their own stance. This Prospect Theory: An Analysis of Deci- tern generation to evoke new ideas;
not only makes the leader less likely to sion under Risk suggests that individu- and Edward de Bono's Six Thinking
seek advice but may also lead to the als avoid losses more than they value Hats, which uses a parallel thinking
suppression of dissent and good ideas gains in decisions that involve risk. This process to enhance decision making.
from others. effect is often more pronounced in the
case of powerful individuals in high-vis- * Actively seek evidence that goes
In light of these two points, it is impor- ibility roles since their decisions are against the initial plan. The process of
tant to note that the other extreme, typically subject to more analysis and identifying and listing facts that are
illustrated by excessive opinion seeking, dissection. contrary to the decided plan reduces
low confidence in one's own judge- the attachment to a tried and tested
ment and frequent re-review, is also The impact of all this on strategic and way of working. It sensitizes us to al-
detrimental, since it may create an organizational decision making is ap- ternate outcomes and allows us to
unstable, erratic environment for the parent. It is important to design a de- improvise when necessary.
leader's team. Structure and balance cision-making process that invites con-
are crucial to an effective decision- sultation but also extracts maximum * Ground judgements and challenge
making process. benefits from the discretionary judge- conclusions using systematic question-
ment of the powerful leader. ing methods and tools such as the lad-
* High-power individuals demonstrate der of inference, which helps us under-
lower recall of factors that may inhibit It is important to keep in mind the sug- stand how we draw conclusions.
the achievement of the goal. A num- gestions that follow while designing a
ber of experiments, including one by more effective strategic decision-mak- * Encourage experimentation with
Professor Jennifer Whitson at the ing process for leaders and organiza- collective intelligence tools, which can
McCombs School of Business in the US, tions: draw attention to biases and help ad-
have shown that high-power individu- dress them.
als identify fewer potential obstacles * Include a formal advice and opinion
to the achievement of a goal. They collection mechanism as the first stage * Invest in coaching to help leaders
are, therefore, more likely to act on of the decision-making process, before recognize and address their underlying
goals. This, however, can lead to sub- leaders develop or voice an opinion. need for demonstrating magnified con-
optimal outcomes if probable con- Leaders feel less compelled to protect fidence levels. This will also enhance
straints are not factored into decision or defend an opinion which has not leaders' self-awareness and create an
making. been expressed and will, therefore, be appetite for honest self-reflection and
more inclined and able to use the ad- alertness to bias.
* High-power individuals often experi- vice and information received.
ence less uncertainty about their fu- An effective decision-making process
ture. This helps them plan for longer- * Encourage dissenting voices and al- not only helps overcome errors in de-
term results in comparison to low- low ideas and views to be challenged cision making, it also helps to move
power individuals, who are more eas- without reprisal. Create a process towards optimal decisions rather than
ily attracted to immediate gains. How- amenable to the expression of con- just satisfactory choices. (Source: Mint)
ever, the illusion of control is a com- trary views.
Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.
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