J is for Judgement: The Quiet Power Behind Every Decision.

“Knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice.” Anton Chekhov.

Judgement is the invisible skill that separates good leaders from great ones. It’s not just about intelligence - it’s about discernment, timing, and emotional regulation.

Research in executive cognition shows that leaders with strong judgement integrate intuition with analysis and are better equipped to lead in uncertainty (Sadler-Smith, 2008; Moxley & Pulley, 2003).

In one leadership team, poor judgement was masked by overconfidence. Decisions were rushed; dissent was silenced, new ideas were paid lip service. By introducing reflective practices and slowing the pace of strategic choices, they began making fewer- but better and more innovative - decisions.

Actionable Insight:

• Create “decision space”. Take time to reflect before committing.

  
  

• Acknowledge different decision styles; who is action orientated, task focused, risk averse or reflective. Is there a dominant style? Use the Leadership Judgement Style Indicator to explore your team.

  
  

• Use external input to test assumptions e.g. key stakeholders or customer insight.

  
  

• Ask: “What’s influencing my judgement right now - data, emotion, intuition, or ego?”

Why it matters: Judgement is quiet, but powerful. When leaders cultivate it, they build trust, credibility, and long-term impact.

Sadler-Smith, E. (2008). Inside Intuition: How to Use Intuition to Succeed in Business.

Routledge.  Moxley, R. S., & Pulley, M. L. (2003). Hardwired Leadership: Unleashing the Power of Personality to Become a New Millennium Leader. Center for Creative Leadership.