What 6 Decision-Making Experts Tell Leaders About Making Smart Choices

Forbes - May 3rd, 2025

In a rapidly changing environment, leaders are often tasked with making high-impact decisions despite having incomplete information and competing priorities. This article explores insights from six decision-making experts who offer guidance on navigating such challenges. Among these experts are Annie Duke, a former poker player turned strategist, and Chris Voss, a former FBI hostage negotiator. They emphasize the importance of separating decision quality from outcomes, using tactical empathy, and maintaining focus amidst distractions. The discussions highlight the necessity of embracing risk, fostering open dialogue, and building psychological safety to enhance decision-making.

The broader context of these insights is the transformation occurring within organizations, as 82% of leaders report significant changes to stay competitive. The experts argue that decision-making is a teachable skill, essential for leadership in uncertain times. They advocate for challenging assumptions, encouraging personal and professional reinvention, and creating environments where questioning and feedback are encouraged. By adopting these strategies, leaders can build resilient teams and cultures that thrive on adaptability and trust. These approaches ultimately enhance leadership effectiveness and ensure organizational success in the long term.

Leadership Risk Management Decision Making Annie Duke Chris Voss Psychological Safety Strategic Change Organizational Culture

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RATING

7.6

Fair Story

Consider it well-founded

The article effectively presents insights from various decision-making experts, offering valuable strategies for leaders navigating complex environments. Its strengths lie in clarity, engagement, and the diversity of expert perspectives, making it a useful resource for business professionals. However, the article would benefit from enhanced transparency and source attribution, particularly concerning specific claims like the McKinsey study. While it is unlikely to provoke controversy, it provides relevant and timely information that can influence leadership practices. Overall, the article is a well-crafted piece that balances informative content with practical advice, though it could be improved with more explicit sourcing and context.

Accuracy

The article presents several factual claims and expert opinions on decision-making strategies for leaders. It accurately quotes insights from decision-making experts such as Annie Duke, Chris Voss, and Nir Eyal, whose credentials are generally recognized in their respective fields. However, the claim regarding the McKinsey study stating that 82% of leaders report significant strategic changes requires verification for precision and context. Additionally, while the article mentions Thinkers50 and its events, it does not provide specific details or citations to support these claims. Overall, the factual basis is strong but would benefit from more explicit sourcing and verification.

Balance

The article effectively balances multiple perspectives on decision-making by incorporating insights from a diverse group of experts, including a former poker player, an FBI negotiator, and a leadership futurist. This variety helps present a well-rounded view of the challenges and strategies in leadership decision-making. However, the article primarily focuses on positive aspects of decision-making strategies and may lack critical perspectives on potential downsides or limitations of the suggested approaches. This focus could lead to a somewhat optimistic portrayal, though it does not significantly detract from the overall balance.

Clarity

The article is well-structured and written in a clear, engaging style. It logically progresses through different aspects of decision-making, making it easy for readers to follow. The use of subheadings effectively organizes the content, allowing readers to navigate the various expert insights seamlessly. The language is accessible and avoids jargon, ensuring that the information is comprehensible to a broad audience. Overall, the article's clarity is one of its strong points, facilitating reader understanding.

Source quality

The article draws from credible sources, including well-known experts like Annie Duke and Chris Voss, whose backgrounds lend authority to the discussion. These sources are reputable within their fields, enhancing the article's reliability. However, the article would benefit from additional attribution, particularly concerning the McKinsey study and Thinkers50 references, to strengthen the depth of source quality. Including more diverse sources beyond the featured experts could also enhance the article's comprehensiveness.

Transparency

The article lacks explicit transparency regarding the methodology used to gather the experts' insights, such as the format of interviews or discussions. While it mentions conversations with experts, it does not detail how these interactions were conducted or any potential conflicts of interest. Providing such context would enhance the reader's understanding of how the information was obtained and its potential biases. The absence of explicit citations for some claims, such as the McKinsey study, also limits transparency.

Sources

https://www.uagc.edu/forbes-school-of-business-and-technology/thought-leadership