Embracing Uncertainty in Leadership: The STFD Approach (S2.40)

Acting with intention rather than urgency. How do you balance the need for quick decisions with the importance of thoughtful actions in your leadership role?

Slow T** F*** Down!

Perry discusse the importance of acting with intention rather than succumbing to the pressure of urgency, and why different thinking approaches—like systems thinking—are invaluable tools for any aspiring leader. We'll also tackle the balance between curiosity and judgment, focusing on the impact each has on learning and leading.

Key Moments

00:00 Sharing knowledge enhances memory retention and efficiency.

04:03 Criticizing urgency culture, emphasizing thoughtful decision-making.

08:54 Curiosity is essential but requires timing.

12:11 Focus on controlling your own actions and decisions.

15:08 Exploration, evolution, and learning through continuous experimentation.

22:11 Seek differences; don't ignore them for success.

25:41 People manipulate decisions based on personal narratives.

27:03 Understanding naturalistic decision-making is crucial for leadership.

Top Takeaways

• Prioritize questioning and evaluating information rather than accepting it unquestioningly. This helps in forming a more accurate and personal understanding of the truth.
• Intuition is a gut feeling, whereas discernment involves a thoughtful process of evaluating and understanding one’s own thinking. Teach and practice discernment for better decision-making.
• Implement integrative thinking by identifying what’s important, analyzing causes, envisioning the decision’s architecture, and resolving effectively. This method provides a structured approach to complex problems.
• As a leader, emphasize intentional actions over impulsive or urgent decisions. Consider using systems thinking for a more comprehensive view of situations.
• Maintain a balance between curiosity and judgment. Being overly judgmental can inhibit learning, leading, and fostering love. Stay curious to promote personal growth and better leadership.
• Embrace stochastic thinking by focusing on actions and behaviors within uncertain environments. This approach aids in dealing with complex contingencies and variables.
• Advocate for continuous personal evolution through exploration and experimentation. Setting hard goals might create pressure; instead, stay adaptable and open to new experiences.
• Be receptive to feedback and comfortable with uncertainty. Avoid the need for cognitive closure, which contributes to binary and constrained thinking.
• Leadership requires a nuanced approach—sensitivity to context, empathy, and an ability to orchestrate effectively. Recognize and adapt to different nuances and contexts within leadership roles.

Perry Maughmer believes the world deserves better leadership; that in every human interaction there is the opportunity to either build others up or tear them down; and that leadership is the choice we make in those moments.

These beliefs led Perry to create the Potential Leader Lab. He wanted to offer those who share his beliefs the space and safety to explore transformative ideas, experiment with new behaviors, and evolve into the leaders they were meant to be and that the world needs.

This is a framework he has used again and again with his Vistage peer advisory groups and companies like Turn-Key Tunneling, Convergint, Haughn &  Associates, I Am Boundless, Ketchum & Walton, LSP Technologies, and Ahlum & Arbor.

Perry lives and works on the shores of Buckeye Lake in Ohio, in the mountains of northwest Georgia, and on the beach in Anna Maria, Florida with his amazingly creative wife Lisa. They have 2 rescue dogs and are intermittently visited by their 3 wonderful...