It's the curse faced by every leader. And it will happen to you, whether you run a company or lead a mountain climbing expedition, whether you're a football coach or the president of the United States. It's the curse of "yes". Leaders hear "yes" far too often. Your power inhibits candor. You don't hear bad news until it's too late. You get groupthink, not reality. You think you've achieved consensus, then find your decisions undermined by colleagues who never really bought in.Inevitable? Absolutely not. Harvard Business School's Michael Roberto draws on powerful decision-making case studies from every walk of life, showing how to promote honest, constructive dissent and skepticism; use it to improve your decisions; and align your entire organization behind those decisions. You'll learn from disasters like the Space Shuttle Columbia and JFK's Bay of Pigs Invasion; from successes like Sid Caesar and Bill Parcells; from George W. Bush's decision-making after 9/11.
Roberto complements his compelling case studies with extensive new research on executive decision-making. You'll discover how to test and probe your management team; when "yes" means yes and when it doesn't; and how to build real consensus that leads to action. You'll gain important new insights into managing teams, mitigating risk, promoting corporate ethics, and much more. Your organization and your executive team have immense untapped wisdom. This book will help you tap that wisdom to the fullest.