Profiles In Leadership - Taking The Right Steps

• Choosing Expedience Over Alignment : Opting for the quickest or easiest solution without considering alignment with organizational values and goals can create long-term problems. As Kruse, Bendig, and Brettel (2023) warn in the MIT Sloan Management Review , “shortcuts in decision making may offer immediate gains, but they often lead to flawed outcomes, erode trust in leadership, and compromise the organization’s long-term success” (Kruse et al., 2023). While these shortcuts may yield quick results, they undermine the quality and sustainability of decisions. Worse, they can damage the organization’s reputation and erode trust in leadership. By avoiding these pitfalls and committing them to a thorough, principled decision-making process, leaders can ensure their choices are effective and in line with the organization’s mission and values. Resource: Kruse, S., Bendig, D., & Brettel, M. (2023). The potency of shortcuts in decision-making. MIT Sloan Management Review , 65 (1), 17-19.

Case Studies: Decision-Making in Action

Case Study 1: NASA and the Challenger Disaster

The tragic 1986 incident involving the Space Shuttle Challenger illustrates the consequences that can arise from making flawed decisions under pressure to act quickly

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