Name: Leading with decisiveness
Uploaded: 2024-02-28T17:13:58.558Z
Duration: 436.84

Joseph Bikart v5.mp4

Joseph Bikart v5.vtt

english 

{{00:00:00}}
When you look at the work done on
super predictors, everything is about

{{00:00:03}}
informing how they look at the world.

{{00:00:05}}
So  they don't find that making
the wrong decision is a disaster.

{{00:00:08}}
There is no such thing in their
minds as the wrong decisions.

{{00:00:11}}
Every decision leads to an
improvement of the way they decide.

{{00:00:26}}
My name is Joseph Bikart.

{{00:00:27}}
I'm a co founder of Templar Advisors.

{{00:00:29}}
My background in decision making is
in the fact that we do two things.

{{00:00:32}}
We do communication advisory
and executive coaching.

{{00:00:36}}
And one thing I found out is that in
both areas, whether it's communication

{{00:00:40}}
or executive and leadership coaching,
everything is about decisions.

{{00:00:44}}
Communication is about deciding
what to say and what not to say.

{{00:00:47}}
And similarly, executive coaching
is about helping people make the

{{00:00:50}}
right decisions for their companies.

{{00:00:52}}
So I think it's really important
as a leader to be decisive because

{{00:00:55}}
that's what's expected of you.

{{00:00:56}}
What really makes a leader is the
ability to make tough decisions, the

{{00:01:00}}
decisions they cannot delegate to others,
and to make them in a timely manner.

{{00:01:10}}
So when you think of the research on the
people who are seen as strong leaders,

{{00:01:14}}
one of the greatest qualities that's
often expressed by people is gravitas.

{{00:01:18}}
And then you ask them, but
what do you mean by gravitas?

{{00:01:20}}
And the first thing is about confidence.

{{00:01:23}}
The second predictor of gravitas and
therefore of executive presence is

{{00:01:27}}
decisiveness, which is why decision
making is so essential to being

{{00:01:31}}
seen and to being a strong leader.

{{00:01:33}}
So I think the importance of
decision making, decision making

{{00:01:37}}
in leadership is really about
the timeliness of your decisions.

{{00:01:41}}
It shouldn't be taken in too
much haste, but at the same time

{{00:01:44}}
you don't want to procrastinate.

{{00:01:46}}
It's also about being an inclusive
leader and really informing your

{{00:01:51}}
decisions through the conversations
you have with your teams.

{{00:01:55}}
And I think another really important
aspect of decision making is trust.

{{00:01:58}}
A strong leader is someone who
would be trusted to make the right

{{00:02:01}}
decisions and therefore be followed.

{{00:02:09}}
There's a couple of things
that they should think about.

{{00:02:11}}
One analysis paralysis.

{{00:02:13}}
That's when we spend too much
time analysing a decision.

{{00:02:16}}
And the problem is we may come up with the
right decisions, but the timing is off.

{{00:02:21}}
Number two is tunneled vision.

{{00:02:23}}
And that's people who are too
focused on the decision and then

{{00:02:27}}
do not see any peripheral signals.

{{00:02:29}}
And what they miss here is, you know, a
risk maybe that they were not aware of.

{{00:02:33}}
It's really important to be aware
of the environment and not just

{{00:02:37}}
too focused on the decision.

{{00:02:45}}
Sometimes we're being too logical when
it comes to looking at tricky situations

{{00:02:50}}
and being almost too rational about them.

{{00:02:52}}
So there's different ways to test
ourselves if you want that follow

{{00:02:56}}
from a decision that we make.

{{00:02:57}}
And I think it's really
important to think of.

{{00:02:59}}
Random situations, random
outcomes that could happen.

{{00:03:03}}
So Angela Merkel, for example, the former
Prime Minister of Germany, said it was

{{00:03:07}}
an essential part of decision making.

{{00:03:09}}
Think of the things that
people wouldn't expect.

{{00:03:11}}
Thinking about what could be
the different outcomes, and then

{{00:03:14}}
assigning to them a probability.

{{00:03:17}}
And when you look at all the different
outcomes, including random ones, including

{{00:03:21}}
unlikely ones, and the probabilities
of them happening, it informs your

{{00:03:25}}
decision in a much more objective manner.

{{00:03:28}}
The other technique, the other strategy
that leaders can take, is really to

{{00:03:31}}
think of what are the objectives.

{{00:03:34}}
of a successful decision.

{{00:03:35}}
How will you assess a
decision when it's happened?

{{00:03:38}}
Very often people are too narrow
in the range of, in the series

{{00:03:42}}
of objectives they consider.

{{00:03:44}}
So the typical, typically the advice
is increase the objectives by 50%.

{{00:03:49}}
What you do then is for each of
these objectives, you assign a

{{00:03:53}}
weight, which is the importance
they have in your overall decision.

{{00:03:57}}
And against different options, you will
then assign a mark to each of these

{{00:04:01}}
objectives weighted by that factor.

{{00:04:03}}
So I know it sounds a bit mathematical,
but that's, again, that's something

{{00:04:06}}
that brings more clarity and
objectivity to your decisions.

{{00:04:14}}
I think there's a few things
that companies can improve on.

{{00:04:17}}
Number one I would, I would
say is creating that climate

{{00:04:20}}
of psychological safety.

{{00:04:22}}
I think that's something where
more progress can be done.

{{00:04:24}}
Another one is when we talk about
diversity and inclusion, I think this

{{00:04:28}}
is essential to making best decisions.

{{00:04:30}}
It's proven that the best
decisions come from diverse teams.

{{00:04:34}}
So it really not only engaging,  hiring,
if you want more diverse people, but

{{00:04:39}}
really including them in decision making.

{{00:04:42}}
There is a lot to be said
for leadership education.

{{00:04:45}}
People make the same
mistakes over and over, i.

{{00:04:48}}
e.

{{00:04:48}}
promoting people to leadership
positions who are good salespeople

{{00:04:53}}
or good technicians but are
not necessarily good leaders.

{{00:04:56}}
And that's where more leadership coaching,
more leadership education can really

{{00:05:01}}
benefit the way decisions are made.

{{00:05:08}}
Groupthink is something that, , This
sadly happens in many organisations where

{{00:05:12}}
everyone is swayed by whoever speaks
loudest and people will follow that view.

{{00:05:17}}
Whoever has the most presence
in the room, and sometimes it

{{00:05:20}}
just happens to be the leader.

{{00:05:22}}
But the leader needs to inform
their decisions through the

{{00:05:24}}
conversations with the team.

{{00:05:26}}
One way to avoid groupthink, first
of all to get people to meet up,

{{00:05:29}}
I know it sounds obvious, avoid
email decisions for example.

{{00:05:33}}
And when you get people to meet up,
try to get them to make a decision

{{00:05:35}}
before coming to the meeting.

{{00:05:37}}
So that then they are prepared to
discuss their rationale and not be

{{00:05:40}}
swayed by groupthink the other important
factor is psychological safety.

{{00:05:45}}
You can only get the best decisions
possible in an organisation if people feel

{{00:05:50}}
safe to speak up, safe to ask questions.

{{00:05:52}}
And the role of the leader is
very much to create that climate.

{{00:06:01}}
Is there a distinction between intuition
and reason when it comes to decision

{{00:06:06}}
making or between intuition and logic?

{{00:06:08}}
I'm actually not convinced because
when you look at what intuition is,

{{00:06:11}}
intuition is about the ability to see
patterns which then inform your decision.

{{00:06:17}}
And the way we see patterns
in life is informed by our

{{00:06:20}}
experience and by our knowledge.

{{00:06:22}}
So, intuition is not something
that happens randomly, it's

{{00:06:24}}
not like a throw of the dice.

{{00:06:26}}
Intuition is very much informed by logic.

{{00:06:28}}
Importantly, we could oppose , emotion,
or emotions, and reason, logic.

{{00:06:34}}
There's an interesting debate here,
because some people call it by the

{{00:06:37}}
left side, the right side of the brain.

{{00:06:39}}
I think there is a role
of emotion versus logic.

{{00:06:42}}
There's different parts of the brain
which are engaged with emotions and logic.

{{00:06:46}}
So, when it comes to using both
sides, , emotions and logic, I

{{00:06:50}}
think the way it works is, you
do it in a sequential manner.

{{00:06:53}}
So you start with logic, you do
your analysis, you do your research,

{{00:06:56}}
with a result, with an outcome.

{{00:06:58}}
And then what you do is, you
test that against your emotion.

{{00:07:01}}
You test different options against
emotion, against a gut feeling, and

{{00:07:06}}
then question the approach, question
the logic and do that sequentially.

When you look at the work done on
super predictors, everything is about

So  they don't find that making
the wrong decision is a disaster.

There is no such thing in their
minds as the wrong decisions.

Every decision leads to an
improvement of the way they decide.

My background in decision making is
in the fact that we do two things.

We do communication advisory
and executive coaching.

And one thing I found out is that in
both areas, whether it's communication

or executive and leadership coaching,
everything is about decisions.

Communication is about deciding
what to say and what not to say.

And similarly, executive coaching
is about helping people make the

So I think it's really important
as a leader to be decisive because

What really makes a leader is the
ability to make tough decisions, the

decisions they cannot delegate to others,
and to make them in a timely manner.

So when you think of the research on the
people who are seen as strong leaders,

one of the greatest qualities that's
often expressed by people is gravitas.

And then you ask them, but
what do you mean by gravitas?

The second predictor of gravitas and
therefore of executive presence is

decisiveness, which is why decision
making is so essential to being

So I think the importance of
decision making, decision making

in leadership is really about
the timeliness of your decisions.

It shouldn't be taken in too
much haste, but at the same time

It's also about being an inclusive
leader and really informing your

decisions through the conversations
you have with your teams.

And I think another really important
aspect of decision making is trust.

A strong leader is someone who
would be trusted to make the right

There's a couple of things
that they should think about.

That's when we spend too much
time analysing a decision.

And the problem is we may come up with the
right decisions, but the timing is off.

And that's people who are too
focused on the decision and then

And what they miss here is, you know, a
risk maybe that they were not aware of.

It's really important to be aware
of the environment and not just

Sometimes we're being too logical when
it comes to looking at tricky situations

and being almost too rational about them.

So there's different ways to test
ourselves if you want that follow

And I think it's really
important to think of.

Random situations, random
outcomes that could happen.

So Angela Merkel, for example, the former
Prime Minister of Germany, said it was

Think of the things that
people wouldn't expect.

Thinking about what could be
the different outcomes, and then

And when you look at all the different
outcomes, including random ones, including

unlikely ones, and the probabilities
of them happening, it informs your

decision in a much more objective manner.

The other technique, the other strategy
that leaders can take, is really to

How will you assess a
decision when it's happened?

Very often people are too narrow
in the range of, in the series

So the typical, typically the advice
is increase the objectives by 50%.

What you do then is for each of
these objectives, you assign a

weight, which is the importance
they have in your overall decision.

And against different options, you will
then assign a mark to each of these

So I know it sounds a bit mathematical,
but that's, again, that's something

that brings more clarity and
objectivity to your decisions.

I think there's a few things
that companies can improve on.

Number one I would, I would
say is creating that climate

I think that's something where
more progress can be done.

Another one is when we talk about
diversity and inclusion, I think this

It's proven that the best
decisions come from diverse teams.

So it really not only engaging,  hiring,
if you want more diverse people, but

really including them in decision making.

There is a lot to be said
for leadership education.

People make the same
mistakes over and over, i.

promoting people to leadership
positions who are good salespeople

or good technicians but are
not necessarily good leaders.

And that's where more leadership coaching,
more leadership education can really

Groupthink is something that, , This
sadly happens in many organisations where

everyone is swayed by whoever speaks
loudest and people will follow that view.

Whoever has the most presence
in the room, and sometimes it

But the leader needs to inform
their decisions through the

One way to avoid groupthink, first
of all to get people to meet up,

I know it sounds obvious, avoid
email decisions for example.

And when you get people to meet up,
try to get them to make a decision

So that then they are prepared to
discuss their rationale and not be

swayed by groupthink the other important
factor is psychological safety.

You can only get the best decisions
possible in an organisation if people feel

Best Practice

Effective decision-making in the workplace is crucial for strategic alignment, resource optimisation and problem-solving. Good decisions can help to manage risks and promote growth, and organisations look to their leaders for clear direction on the next move.

Joseph Bikart is author of The Art of Decision Making and he sat down with Streamly to discuss what good decision-making looks like and how you can learn to to it.

Decision Making

Leadership Skills

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Joseph Bikart  

Discover insights from other experts

Communication Advisor, Executive Coach, and Author 

Bikart discusses the significance of decision-making in leadership, particularly in relation to personal qualities.

Qualities of a decisive leader

Bikart highlights two important considerations in decision-making.

The negatives of overthinking

Bikart talks about the limitations of excessive logic in decision-making and suggests a broader perspective.

Decision making strategies

Bikart identifies areas where leaders can improve their leadership skills to create a decisive team