Leadership Impact On Decision Making

Don’t Take Notions For An Answer One of the most underestimated risks in business conversations is walking in with someone else’s assumptions. A reputation, a past story or a quick comment often becomes the filter through which we expect the other person to behave. Psychology has a clear explanation. Princeton researchers found that people form first impressions in less than one tenth of a second. And Harvard research shows that second hand impressions influence almost 60 percent of what we expect from someone before a single word is exchanged. Put together, it means our mind is already writing a script long before the meeting starts. The problem is that these scripts are rarely accurate, yet they quietly shape our tone, our expectations and the room itself. In business this often creates unnecessary friction. I have seen teams spend days preparing for what they believed would be a difficult discussion, only to discover that the person across the table was far more open, reasonable and aligned than the narrative suggested. The real surprise is not that the meeting went well. It is that the preconceived picture was steering the interaction long before the conversation even began. There is real value in meeting people as they are, not as they are described. When you drop the preconceived picture, conversations open up. You understand context better. You respond to the situation in front of you, instead of reacting to a story someone else handed you. It creates room for better judgement, clearer decisions and more balanced outcomes. Not every story deserves your belief. Sometimes the smartest approach is to let the person in front of you define the interaction, instead of letting old notions do the talking. #LeadershipInsights #BusinessCommunication #DecisionMaking

It’s the CEOs job to make prime decisions. We believe that requires primary information. And that’s a constant challenge for founders. Humans tend to confuse noise for knowledge and filtered, abstract information misses granularity and context. This matters in decision-making. Of which you make dozens a week in your con-tech startup. In our latest Practical Nerds episode, Shubhankar and I unpack a trap we’ve both seen (and also stepped into): decisions built on secondhand assumptions dressed up as first principles. What’s presented as information is often just well-packaged opinion – passed through layers of retelling, stripped of context, and mistaken for the truth. One idea we explored is what you might call the externalized Dunning-Kruger effect: not just the illusion of knowing, but the projection of that illusion – often amplified through social media and perceived as credibility. When confidence becomes a substitute for clarity, especially in decision-making processes, misjudgments can scale fast. We talked about a few principles that can help founders avoid that trap: >> Recognizing when you're in decision mode – not just the big, obvious ones, but the subtle, fast-moving choices. Being in decision mode doesn’t always feel like it. >>> Questioning the origin of your information: Am I relying on firsthand detail or someone else’s interpretation? Is this my view – or a summary of someone else’s summary? >>> Knowing when the right move is to pause – to hold back from deciding until you've seen or gathered enough primary detail to justify it. It's discipline. It's the difference between reacting and reasoning. And sometimes, “I don’t know” is sometimes the most informed thing we can say. In AEC, where complexity lives in the field – not in spreadsheets – this becomes even more critical. You can’t fake proximity. You can’t abstract your way to operational truth. The best decisions often start with walking the site, talking to the crew, and understanding what works and what just looks good in a slide deck.

Treating diversity as HR’s mandate is like treating profitability as only Finance’s problem. Whenever D&I is driven only by policy, progress is slow. But when leaders take ownership, the impact is immediate and you see richer debates in the boardroom, sharper decision-making, and a culture that attracts top talent. What strikes me the most when I work with diverse teams is how the conversation itself changes. The teams don’t just come up with different answers, but they ask questions I would've missed in the first place. Suddenly, the room is looking at problems from angles that were invisible before. That shift in perspective is what pushes decisions from ordinary to exceptional. So, diversity isn’t about compliance. It’s a leadership strategy and the companies that treat it that way will always be a step ahead. #diversity #inclusion #team

Throughout my career, I've witnessed how limiting narrow leadership perspectives can be—and why truly transformative organizations must challenge their own blind spots, especially when it comes to gender diversity in top leadership positions. The numbers don't lie. In the UK's top 100 companies: -Only 9 women hold FTSE 100 CEO positions -Women represent just 32% of leadership roles -Merely 12 companies have achieved gender parity in senior leadership We need 5.6x more women CEOs to reflect the UK's population. But this isn't just about numbers; it's about untapped potential. Companies with diverse leadership are: -More profitable -More socially responsible -Deliver higher-quality customer experiences Key Bottlenecks: -Women are severely underrepresented in P&L leadership -Traditional CEO feeder roles remain male-dominated -Succession pipelines continue to perpetuate existing imbalances No organization achieves greatness by maintaining the status quo. Our legacy as leaders will be defined by the opportunities we create for those who have been systematically overlooked. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4gGhNqV #WomenInLeadership #GenderDiversity #RRAArtemis

Leadership isn’t built in meetings. It’s built in your daily rituals. 👇 In every era, the most effective leaders followed daily rituals - Not just for productivity, But to anchor presence, clarity, and wise decision-making. Here are 6 ancient-meets-modern rituals to elevate how you lead: 1. The Sacred Hour ▪️ Ancient: Marcus Aurelius began at dawn ▪️ Modern: Tim Cook starts at 3:45 AM ➡️ Protected time for deep, undistracted thought 🌟 Morning cortisol sharpens strategy ⚡ Try this: Block 20 mins after waking. No phone. Just thinking or journaling. 2. Movement as Ritual ▪️ Ancient: Warrior-kings trained daily ▪️ Modern: Satya Nadella runs each morning ➡️ Intentional movement unlocks clarity + resilience 🌟 Increases leadership cognition (clarity) ⚡ Try this: Walk or stretch 30 mins before work. No agenda- just move. 3. The Council System ▪️ Ancient: Tribal elder circles ▪️ Modern: Personal Boards of Directors ➡️ Wisdom from trusted perspectives reduces bias 🌟 Improves decision quality by 30% ⚡ Try this: Pick 2–3 advisors. Connect monthly for insight and reflection. 4. The Solitude Practice ▪️ Ancient: Sacred retreats in nature ▪️ Modern: Bill Gates’s “Think Weeks” ➡️ Deep solitude unlocks innovation 🌟 Enhances clarity + big-picture thinking ⚡ Try this: One hour weekly. No input. No tasks. Just space to be. 5. The Knowledge Ritual ▪️ Ancient: Daily spiritual or Stoic study ▪️ Modern: Buffett’s 5-hour reading rule ➡️ Daily learning builds mental flexibility 🌟 Fuels adaptability + long-term vision ⚡ Try this: 15 mins/day reading, reflecting, integrating. 6. The Reflection Practice ▪️ Ancient: Emperor’s evening reviews ▪️ Modern: Jeff Bezos’s “Regret Minimization” ➡️ Align actions with values through structured reflection 🌟 Boosts decision quality by 23% ⚡ Try this: Ask yourself nightly - What did I learn? What would I do differently? Leadership isn’t just about what you do - It’s how you show up every day. ✨ Start with one ritual. Watch everything else shift. 📚 Explore more concepts in my book - The Conscious Choice ♻️ Repost to elevate conscious leadership 🔔 Follow Bhavna Toor for more wisdom-led strategy

In my early days at Rubrik, I made a mistake: I sought out leaders who mirrored my own strengths and weaknesses. It seemed logical at the time since I knew I could better relate to people with the same qualities as me, but I quickly learned that true leadership requires a diverse portfolio of skills. Just like in finance, where a diverse asset portfolio reduces risk, your leadership team needs a mix of perspectives and strengths. If everyone thinks and acts the same way, you’re setting yourself up for a major downfall. Think about it: When you're confronted with a problem you’re not sure how to tackle, it's a learning experience. But if no one on your team is equipped to handle that challenge, your entire organization can crash. Diversity of skills in leadership encourages innovation and resilience. It compensates for individual weaknesses and amplifies our collective strengths. When you embrace different viewpoints, you create a more adaptable and robust team capable of navigating challenges. The right mix of strengths will keep us grounded, even when the storms of uncertainty hit.

One of the more subtle challenges for many people, including leaders, is not choosing but “un-choosing”. We assume decisions are about analysis: weighing evidence, comparing alternatives and then selecting the best path. Yet, in practice, many decisions are shaped less by logic and more by ownership. Once something becomes ours, be that OUR idea or OUR strategy or OUR belief, its value quietly rises in our mind. Psychologists,I believe, call this the Endowment Effect: we place a higher value on what we already possess. Ownership changes our perception. You see it in investing, for instance. An investor holds on to a declining stock because selling feels like accepting a mistake and you believe your original decision must have been right. The same person would probably not buy that stock today, yet finds it difficult to part with it. You see it in organizations. A product launched with great conviction survives long after its relevance fades. A process designed years ago continues because “this is how we’ve always done it.” The debate is no longer about merit, but about attachment. The Endowment Effect is reinforced by the Status Quo bias, which is our tendency to prefer the current state simply because it exists. We are creatures of habit and change is not easy. Together, these two create inertia and biases that can masquerade as conviction. Decision making – and leadership - become difficult not just when the future is unclear, but when we have such high emotional investment in the past. Often the most expensive decisions are not only wrong choices, but choices that seemed right once that we refuse to revisit. One way to deal with this is to reframe ownership by asking a simple question: If this were not already ours, would we choose it today? This removes history and attachment from judgement and restores objectivity. It also helps to institutionalise review in organisations. Sunset clauses, periodic portfolio reviews and rotating decision-makers can introduce healthy detachment. Time creates attachment, so structure must counter it. Organizations celebrate launches, rarely closures. Yet, strategic withdrawal ( though not just for the sake of making change) is often a sign of maturity. The Endowment Effect is in a sense deeply human. Attachment is not weakness, but is our preference for continuity and for the familiar, with the ego also playing its part. But, when attachment replaces evaluation, yesterday’s strengths and good decisions can become tomorrow’s constraints and follies. Leadership, in many ways, is as much about the courage to decide as about the courage to reconsider something that is. Because progress doesn’t come from always choosing the new; it often comes from letting go of the once-right.

𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐎𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬: 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 One of the fundamental qualities that distinguish effective #leaders from others is their approach to #accountability. While some individuals may be quick to point fingers and shift blame when things go wrong, true leaders embrace accountability and inspire the same behavior in their teams. The Importance of Accountability in Leadership is not merely about taking responsibility for one’s actions; it is about owning the outcomes, whether they are successes or failures. Leaders who embody accountability demonstrate #integrity, build #trust, and foster a culture of ownership within their #organizations. By taking responsibility for their decisions and actions, they set a powerful example for their #teams. In contrast, leaders who resort to blaming others undermine trust and damage team morale. Blame-shifting not only deflects responsibility but also erodes the #confidence of team members, leading to a toxic work culture where people are afraid to take risks or innovate. 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲? ✅ Building Trust and Credibility When leaders own up to their mistakes and take responsibility for their actions, they earn the trust and respect of their team members. Trust is the foundation of any successful organization, and it is built on transparency and honesty. ✅ Fostering a Culture of Learning and Innovation Leaders who embrace accountability encourage a growth mindset within their teams. They understand that mistakes are an inevitable part of the learning process and that failure can lead to valuable insights and innovation. ✅ Empowering Teams Accountability is empowering. When leaders take responsibility for their actions and decisions, they empower their teams to do the same. ✅Driving Organizational Success Accountability is a key driver of organizational success. When leaders model accountability, they set a standard for performance and integrity that permeates the entire organization. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲: Leaders must demonstrate accountability in their actions and decisions. By being transparent about their mistakes and learning from them, they set a powerful example for their teams. They can… ✔️Create a Safe Environment ✔️Encourage open communication. ✔️Set Clear Expectations ✔️Provide Constructive Feedback ✔️Recognize and Reward Accountability . In short, in the realm of leadership, accountability is a cornerstone that underpins trust, integrity, and #performance. A leader's ability to inspire accountability in others is not merely a matter of issuing commands or setting expectations; it is fundamentally about leading by example. The truth is, you can't inspire accountability in others until you model it yourself. This principle holds true across industries, cultures, and contexts.

Small Problems, Big Consequences — A Leadership Life Lesson: In leadership, the real issue is rarely the “problem” itself. The bigger danger lies in our delay, our silent assumption that “it can wait,” and our habit of pushing the small things aside. Most problems start tiny… almost invisible. All they need is a quick response, a simple action, a responsible mindset. But when we ignore them, they quietly grow into consequences we never imagined. A leader’s true mentality is not shown during major crises — It is revealed in how we handle the small, everyday responsibilities: - A missed email - A delayed approval - A minor conflict - A task postponed to “tomorrow” - A small duty avoided because it feels unimportant These small lapses are the seeds of the biggest storms. Life has a simple rule: Every action bears fruit — and so does inaction. When we respond late, we pay later. When we avoid responsibility today, tomorrow becomes heavier. Great leaders don’t wait for things to explode. They act the moment they sense something is off — not when the fire appears, but when the smoke begins. As you grow in success, pay closer attention to the small matters. Your discipline in little things protects the big things. Your behaviour in simple decisions shapes the destiny of your team. A timely intervention can save an entire organisation. A careless delay can damage what took years to build. Leadership is not about authority. It is about presence, awareness, and timely action. #Leadership #Success #Motivation #People #HR

The findings of a recent study by Professor Nina Smith and Maddalena Ronchi highlight a fascinating aspect of leadership: male leaders whose firstborn child is a daughter often develop a deeper commitment to equality and diversity in the workplace. I discussed this research, as well as my own experiences, in an interview with Finans. As a father of three daughters and CEO of a company with a majority of male colleagues, these questions are very close to home. I clearly remember my then 12-year-old daughter being stunned one evening upon hearing news about pay gaps between men and women performing equal work - a moment that has shaped my outlook both personally and professionally. At COWI, we have set a clear goal to reach 40% female leaders at all levels by 2030. Rather than relying on quotas, we focus on removing bias from our recruitment processes and ensuring that every position is filled from a diverse candidate pool. For me, this is both a matter of fairness and a way to ensure we bring the best talent on board.