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Judgment

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Judgment

The Art of Momentous Decision-Making

Chris Mailander,

15 min read
9 take-aways
Audio & text

What's inside?

How to make high-stakes decisions under complex, challenging conditions.


Editorial Rating

6

Qualities

  • Analytical
  • Engaging
  • Insider's Take

Recommendation

At crucial times, leaders can face arduous decisions: complex dilemmas under dynamic conditions and intense pressure. Such situations require clarity, discernment, strategic thinking, and insight — in a word, judgment. Strategist Chris Mailander has counseled dozens of clients at the highest level of business and government through challenging decision paths. His authoritative account — although lacking in practical advice — will help leaders enhance their own and their organizations’ advantages and take on even the most momentous challenges.

Summary

Leaders require judgment to make critical decisions under challenging conditions.

Judgment is the ability to make critical decisions in challenging and high-stakes situations. It involves perceiving, reacting, and thinking to achieve desired aims when faced with complex dilemmas. Successful judgment requires cutting through distractions to find clarity, shaping the direction of decisions, and avoiding pitfalls. At the same time, good judgment means seizing opportunities. Leaders must strive for the highest levels of judgment, even though it will inherently be imperfect due to intense pressure, time constraints, and the high stakes involved. By understanding the deeper codes and common patterns that underpin judgment in crucial moments, leaders can enhance their decision-making abilities and navigate through difficult situations to achieve their goals.

Ultimately, decision-makers strive to achieve a state called “the Quiet”: a state of contemplation, reflection, and strategic analysis amid the cacophony of information, decisions, and external influences. Within the Quiet, decision-makers can find a moment of clarity and insight that enables them to discern...

About the Author

Chris Mailander counsels corporate and national government leaders through arduous decision paths. His clients have included Mastercard, Visa, the Federal Home Loan Bank System, the president of Nigeria, and the government of Iraq. He was previously an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law School and an adjunct fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.


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