Super Deciders

Chapter 14Epilogue

Claudio Feser, David Redaschi, and Karolin Frankenberger

Isabelle faced a difficult situation. Although not a “people pleaser” by nature, she wanted to make sure she met all her various stakeholders' expectations perfectly.

But meeting all expectations is not always possible – and she was trying to please several different, demanding audiences.

Isabelle recalled a lecture on leadership that she attended as part of her Advanced Management Program at Harvard. In the course, Professor Robert Kegan, an author and developmental psychologist, had explained the concept of cognitive complexity. She recalled his statement that leaders get bogged down if they try to meet every demand, including those that conflict. But Kegan also suggested a way out. “Try to meet as many [demands] as you can, but ultimately listen to your own values and inner compass. Leadership is not about making everyone happy. It is about being authentic, using values when making decisions.”

She made the connection to the second note Eve had sent. “That's it! My personality, my values, and my emotions are my gifts!” she thought. And she decided to use her gifts.

She knew that it wasn't fair to dismiss Thomas based only on a hypothesis and without any facts. Nor was it fair to fire him just to meet other people's expectations, including board members, investors, and GET members. It took courage, but correctly, at that moment, she pressed the pause button so she could quickly but thoroughly analyze ...