Recommended Reading - In Praise of the Decisive CEO, NY Times

Sunday's, February 3, 2008, Business Section of the New York Times had a review by Stephen Kotkin of Noel M. Tichy and Warren G. Bennis' latest book Judgment. The authors sing the praises of decisive executives. According to the authors winning C.E.O.s,

... affirm, frame and relentlessly narrate an apt story line about the company. They also pick very good people, and fire their blunders fast. Strategy matters, the authors note, but forming the team comes first.

And crises test not snap-decision prowess but rather prior preparation. The best C.E.O.’s gear up to make a major call before it becomes necessary, or impossible, to do so. Malcolm Gladwell is wrong, they say: judgment is a process, not an intuitive blink.

Compelling stuff, enriched by nuanced attention to even a good decision’s sometimes unpredictable aftermath — and the need for “redo loops.” But the authors’ well-told, if scattershot, stories often do not illuminate the line between great and mundane judgment.

For those interested in leadership qualities particularly as they relate to business, the book sounds like a worthwhile read. I have not had the opportunity to read the book yet, but the review makes for a compelling case to take a look.

Recommended Reading - Even good CEOs can pick the wrong direction

Del Jones authored an article in USA Today yesterday on CEOs and how they manage. The article focuses on the obvious importance of judgment when evaluating CEOs.

Fresh research by top leadership gurus suggest that if great leaders have something in common, it could be this: a knack for escaping lapses of bad judgment. Or, at least the luck to do so. It may not even require an all-star's batting average in judgment. From Abraham Lincoln, our greatest leaders often have inconsistent judgment but, over long careers, find a way to be on the right side a few times when judgment is critical.

If you are interested in leadership and corporate management the article is worth a quick read.