The Footnotes Blog

Photo belongs to James R. Howard

Good leadership as we’ve talked about involves meaningful actions (not just words), leading by example, and building trust, but these qualities in a leader help inform a leader’s ability to have good judgement, what I believe to be the most important skill for any good leader. Leaders are responsible for making the tough calls based on the facts and analysis they have on hand, and their judgement of what and how decisions need to be made is crucial.

Photo belongs to James R. Howard

In his article How to Tackle Your Toughest Decisions published in 2016 by the Harvard Business Review, Joseph L. Badaracco defines judgement as the “fusion of your thinking, feelings, experience, imagination, and character,” and believes our own judgement can be improved by asking five important questions. So, the next time you’re organizing a team at work, volunteers at a community event, or simply trying to figure out how to plan the best wedding ever, ask yourself “What the net consequences of all my options? What are my core obligations? What will work in the world as it is? Who are we? What can I live with?”

Photo belongs to James R. Howard

Badaracco asks us to start by taking the time to thoroughly add up the consequences of our available actions, and question our prior assumptions of what we should do, and instead ask ourselves “What could we do?… who will be hurt or helped, short-term and long-term, by each option?” Will you be kind in this world, or will you act as if the world is a place that is nasty, brutish and short?

Photo belongs to James R. Howard

In my life I have lived by the idea of treating others as you wish to be treated. Some might say that’s good for my karma, and I would agree, but that’s not a great reason for just being kind, or a good person. I have made a judgement, in accepting this advice, this mantra I was taught many years ago, that even though the world can be an unpredictable place, and personalities can be difficult, and evil might persist, that I will be good. I decided a long time ago I knew who I was, and I knew right from wrong, and that I was going to be someone that was understanding, kind, and honest to the people around me, simply because I felt acting this way would create a better world for everyone. The phrase “be the change you want to see in this world” may sound corny, or cringe, but how else do we leave a world better than when we found it if we don’t hold ourselves up to a higher standard? If you know you can be better, then be better. It’s that simple.