The three Cs of good decisions

"Emotionally intelligent leaders have mastered the skill of responding rather than reacting. They understand the interplay between their comfort zone and their fears and the limitations this imposes. They have identified their nonnegotiable values. They understand that moods are biochemical responses to be tamed before making consequential decisions. They know their basic human needs can generate significant blind spots and patterns of decision-making of which they must become aware. Finally, leaders have preferred decision-making styles that determine both the quality and speed of their decisions."

"They understand the interplay between their comfort zone and their fears and the limitations this imposes. They have identified their nonnegotiable values. They understand that moods are biochemical responses to be tamed before making consequential decisions. They know their basic human needs can generate significant blind spots and patterns of decision-making of which they must become aware. Finally, leaders have preferred decision-making styles that determine both the quality and speed of their decisions."

Decision quality determines leadership legacy, with humans making thousands of daily choices and hundreds of millions across a lifetime. Many decisions are defaults or reversible; a few are consequential and irreversible. Sound decisions arise from values, competence, courage, compassion, and self-awareness. Emotional intelligence enables responding rather than reacting, managing moods, fears, comfort zones, and blind spots driven by basic human needs. Preferred decision-making styles influence speed and quality. Safeguards for good decisions include competence, courage, compassion, boosted by self-awareness and anchored in nonnegotiable values. Self-awareness permits observing internal dialogue, behavior, relational effects, and the impact of words.

Read at Fast Company