Decision Intelligence

CHAPTER 8Leading a Decision Intelligence Organization

In this final chapter, we delve into the essential aspects of leading a DI organization. As we learned, the business landscape has become increasingly complex and competitive, and modern leaders face numerous challenges in navigating the uncertainty that comes with it. As a result, leaders are under pressure to make well-informed decisions and inspire and drive their teams to do the same. Our focus in this chapter is to explore the crucial role of leaders and distributed leadership in fostering an environment that maximizes decision quality, innovation, and adaptability within an organization.

Today's leaders can no longer rely solely on their knowledge and expertise to make critical decisions. In fact, when an organization is data-rich but finds itself stuck in a data-swamp, leaders must resist the temptation to make decisions in isolation. Instead, they need to lean into their teams, harnessing the collective intelligence, experience, and creativity that reside within them. Suppose leaders need to involve others in decision-making. In that case, they risk perpetuating a self-fulfilling prophecy. As a result, the organization remains trapped in a loop of poor decisions and stagnation despite the data they have.

This chapter will discuss the importance of recognizing and embracing the social processes that underpin decision-making and leadership within a DI organization. We will examine the critical interplay between trust, ...