Light on Leadership

When Every Option Feels Wrong...

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Welcome to Light on Leadership! In under two minutes, our newsletter delivers one book recommendation, one leadership action step, and two leadership tips. We know you're busy, so we've designed this content to be both useful and shareable. Enjoy!

Some leadership qualities are easy to see, such as energy, communication, and vision.

But the quality that ultimately defines a leader’s effectiveness in challenging times is judgment.

In Judgment: How Winning Leaders Make Great Calls, Noel Tichy and Warren Bennis remind us that leaders earn their pay in moments when every option feels flawed and the pressure is real. The difference between good and great leadership is often the ability to make the best possible decision when no perfect answer exists.

One of the book’s simplest insights is also one of its most powerful: our judgment is shaped by the people we surround ourselves with.

Think about your own career.

Who influenced your thinking in the most positive way?
Who stayed calm in crisis?
Who consistently seemed to make the right call when others struggled?

What was it about them?

Experience?
Humility?
Courage?
The discipline to listen before deciding?

Great leaders are rarely accidental decision makers. Their judgment is shaped, sharpened, and strengthened over time, often by the people they choose to learn from.

👉 Quick Action Step: 

Identify a significant decision from the past year.


Whose voices influenced the outcome?
Did you deliberately seek out disagreement, or did you unintentionally surround yourself with affirmation?

 

Book Recommendation:

Judgment: How Winning Leaders Make Great Calls.

By Noel Tichy and Warren Bennis

Two Tips

Five Questions All Leaders Should Consider Before Making a Decision

🔷 Have I clearly defined the real problem, not just the surface issue?

🔷 Have I intentionally sought out perspectives that challenge my thinking?

🔷 Does this decision align with our core values and long term mission?

🔷 Who will be most affected and have I considered their experience?

🔷 Am I deciding from clarity and principle or from pressure and urgency?

“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing.”

- Theodore Roosevelt

What Will Your Retirement Look Like?

Planning for retirement raises many questions. Have you considered how much it will cost, and how you’ll generate the income you’ll need to pay for it? For many, these questions can feel overwhelming, but answering them is a crucial step forward for a comfortable future.

Start by understanding your goals, estimating your expenses and identifying potential income streams. The Definitive Guide to Retirement Income can help you navigate these essential questions. If you have $1,000,000 or more saved for retirement, download your free guide today to learn how to build a clear and effective retirement income plan. Discover ways to align your portfolio with your long-term goals, so you can reach the future you deserve.

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