How Best Leaders Make Great Decisions

Leadership is often framed as an innate skill—a natural “gift” of foresight and intuition. But here’s the first myth we’ll debunk: great decision-making isn’t magic. One of my early mentors gave me the following feedback, “Rich, sometimes you treat a wisp of inspiration as if it were a four-lane highway. It’s not that you shouldn’t trust your intuition, you just need to validate it.” This is what I’ve learned since then. Through extensive research on personality and 360 ratings of behavior on nearly 2,000 executives from diverse industries worldwide, I’ve learned that strong decision-making is a disciplined approach to judgment that distinguishes top leaders from the rest. These leaders don’t fall for quick fixes or rely on intuition alone; they build their decision-making skill through a blend of analysis, emotional intelligence, and strategic insight. Let’s explore what our research reveals about how great leaders make great decisions, challenging some pervasive myths in the process.

Myth #1: Leaders Are Born with a ‘Gut’ for Good Decisions

Many people picture a strong leader as someone who acts swiftly, relying on an almost mystical gut instinct. But from our research, it’s clear that while intuition has a role, exceptional leaders don’t lean solely on their gut. They’re analytical, dissecting problems and identifying root causes. They avoid knee-jerk reactions and use data and context as their foundation. Our findings show that leaders who rate high in analytical skills and problem identification are able to make consistently better decisions, thanks to their ability to weigh diverse inputs and arrive at well-considered conclusions.

Practical Takeaway:

Before making a quick decision, ask if it’s really grounded in analysis or just a reflex. The best leaders in our study clarify problems, consider multiple perspectives, and evaluate risk. This balanced approach—where intuition complements, rather than overrides, analysis—ensures more sound and strategic decisions.

Myth #2: Strategic Vision Means Focusing Only on the Big Picture

“See the forest, not the trees.” Sounds inspiring, right? But it’s also incomplete. In reality, great leaders don’t overlook details—they take a “zoom in, zoom out” approach to strategy. According to our research, the best leaders combine big picture thinking with a precise grasp of details, enabling them to adapt to short-term needs while aligning with long-term goals. These leaders balance the forest with the trees, recognizing that both perspectives are crucial for sound judgment in complex environments.

Practical Takeaway:

When facing a decision, don’t just go with what looks right from a high level. Drill down into specifics and examine how each choice supports your goals, now and in the future. The best leaders, as our research shows, have honed the ability to navigate both the telescope and the microscope.

Myth #3: Real Leaders Are Decisive and Unwavering

Sure, decisiveness is important. But our research underscores that the best leaders aren’t just fast—they’re deliberate. These executives make a thoughtful choice between action and patience, recognizing that impulsivity can backfire. Decisiveness isn’t about rushing; it’s about timing. Leaders who consistently rated high in follow-through also demonstrated this deliberation—when they act, they ensure their decision is fully executed, with a strong sense of timing and purpose.

Practical Takeaway:

Avoid making decisions purely for the sake of speed. Reflect on whether a pause for more data or a moment of careful thought will yield a better choice. Our findings reveal that the most effective leaders don’t view deliberation as hesitation but as essential preparation.

Myth #4: Good Leaders Always Follow Their Convictions

Leaders are often depicted as unbending in their beliefs. But our research reveals that top-performing leaders exhibit cognitive flexibility—they know when to adapt their thinking. Leaders who resist change or rigidly adhere to their convictions miss out on opportunities to pivot and adjust as new information emerges. The best leaders in our study are adaptable, unafraid to revise their strategies, and more likely to succeed in dynamic, complex environments.

Practical Takeaway:

When you’re resistant to change, ask yourself if it’s pride or fear of flexibility that’s holding you back. The leaders in our research embrace adaptability as a strength. Remember, it’s not flip-flopping if you’re improving and evolving.

Myth #5: Risk-Takers Are the Only Ones Who Move the Needle

Hollywood loves a risk-taker, but our research shows that top leaders don’t gamble recklessly. They’re experts at calculated risk-taking—distinguishing between acceptable and unacceptable risks. They use a structured approach to weigh outcomes and act when the potential benefits justify the risks. These leaders consistently achieve better results than those who approach risk blindly or avoid it altogether.

Practical Takeaway:

When you’re facing a risky choice, evaluate the potential fallout and how well-prepared you are to handle it. Leaders in our study assess risk meticulously, positioning themselves for wins without courting disaster. This kind of measured risk-taking is a hallmark of sustainable leadership.

Myth #6: Emotional Intelligence Just Means Being “Nice”

Emotional intelligence (EQ) is often misunderstood as “softness.” But high EQ is a critical tool for strategic influence. Leaders with high EQ manage their own emotions well, understand others’ perspectives, and build trust. They navigate conflict with finesse and inspire team buy-in. Our research shows that social confidence and diplomacy are vital qualities for leaders who master this emotional balance, building loyalty and morale that amplify their decision-making power.

Practical Takeaway:

To develop EQ, start with self-awareness: identify your emotional triggers and examine how they influence your choices. Then, focus on understanding team dynamics. Our data show that leaders who tailor their approach to different people and situations build stronger teams and achieve better outcomes.

Myth #7: Complexity Requires Total Control

Many leaders think that managing complexity means controlling everything. But our research with executives reveals that high-performing leaders know when to let go, fostering flexibility and encouraging innovation within their teams. They act as “guiding stars,” offering direction while empowering others to make decisions and solve problems on the ground. Leaders who rated highly in empowerment excelled in their roles by encouraging this autonomy, allowing their teams to shine within a shared framework of goals.

Practical Takeaway:

Identify areas where you can empower your team. Shift from micromanaging to guiding, and trust that capable people can solve problems creatively. Our findings affirm that leaders who embrace this style often get better, more innovative results.

Myth #8: Leaders Must “Know It All”

The myth of the omniscient leader is just that—a myth. Our research highlights that leaders who embrace intellectual humility achieve more sustainable success. By recognizing their limits, these leaders actively seek diverse perspectives and feedback. They’re not afraid to say, “I don’t know.” This openness fosters a culture of knowledge-sharing and insight that enriches the entire organization.

Practical Takeaway:

Practice intellectual humility by regularly seeking feedback, not only from peers but from all levels of the organization. Our data show that leaders who do this avoid the pitfalls of overconfidence, making smarter decisions with the full benefit of collective insight.

Myth #9: Stress Should Be Suffered in Silence

There’s a persistent belief that leaders need to handle stress internally, keeping it hidden. Yet, our research shows that resilience under pressure is key to good judgment. Leaders who manage stress effectively—through deliberate resilience practices—make clearer, more rational decisions. Those who prioritize mental and physical health maintain cognitive clarity, enabling better decision-making even under intense pressure.

Practical Takeaway:

Make stress management a leadership priority. Incorporate resilience practices like meditation or structured breaks. Our findings reveal that resilience isn’t just personal—it impacts the quality of leadership judgment in high-stakes moments.

Myth #10: Leadership is All About Results

Results matter, but the process of achieving them matters just as much. Great leaders know that good judgment balances outcomes with a reflective approach to how decisions are made. The leaders in our research use “double-loop learning,” where they don’t just evaluate whether a decision worked but also examine how the decision was made. This self-reflection keeps them growing and adapting, enabling them to learn from both wins and missteps.

Practical Takeaway:

Regularly review your decision-making process, not just the outcomes. Ask, “What went right?” and “Where could we improve?” By focusing on continuous improvement, you evolve as a leader, making each decision sharper than the last.

The Bottom Line: Good Judgment is Crafted, Not Gifted

Our research on nearly 2,000 executives has shown that good judgment isn’t a mystical talent. It’s a skill crafted over time, blending analytical thinking with empathy, risk management, resilience, and intellectual humility. Great leaders don’t rest on their innate abilities; they grow through disciplined reflection, calculated risk-taking, and a willingness to learn. By balancing data with insight, courage with caution, and strength with adaptability, they build decision-making practices that create lasting value and inspire those around them.

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Why smart leaders are the hardest to to work for.

Why Smart Leaders Struggle with People

By Rich Hagberg • March 30, 2026

Some of the smartest leaders you will ever meet are also some of the hardest people to work with. They are fast, perceptive, and unusually strong at solving hard problems. They see patterns others miss. They cut through ambiguity. They grasp systems, strategy, and complexity at a very high level. In many cases, those gifts are exactly why they became founders, technical leaders, or senior executives. And yet many of these same people leave a trail of strained relationships behind them. Their direct reports feel unseen or intimidated. Peers experience them as dismissive, impatient, or controlling. Their bosses admire their intellect but hesitate to trust them with broader leadership responsibility. At home, partners often feel emotionally alone. Over time, the leader becomes puzzled. They know they are smart, committed, and often right. So why do people keep pulling away, withholding the truth, or failing to fully follow them? The answer is that many high IQ leaders are working from an incomplete model of effectiveness. They assume that if they think clearly, argue logically, work hard, and produce results, the rest should take care of itself. That model can work for a long time in school, in technical roles, and in the early stages of a company. But eventually leadership becomes less about the quality of your own mind and more about your ability to work through the minds, emotions, motivations, and limitations of other people. That is where many smart leaders start to fail. The Core Problem Intelligence is not the problem. It is an asset. The problem is that intelligence often creates distortions. It can make a leader overestimate the power of logic, underestimate the importance of emotion, and develop habits that quietly damage trust. It can also create a subtle arrogance. Not always the loud kind, but the quieter assumption that if other people are slower, less rigorous, or more emotional, they must be the problem. Once a leader starts living inside that assumption, interpersonal trouble becomes almost inevitable. Five Common Patterns 1. Overreliance on reason Many bright leaders treat relationships as if they are mainly cognitive systems. If there is disagreement, they explain more. If someone is upset, they analyze the issue. If morale is low, they offer strategy. If a direct report feels discouraged, they give solutions. In their minds they are being helpful and efficient. But the other person often feels bypassed. Their emotional reality is treated as noise rather than information. Their need to be heard is mistaken for a need to be corrected. This is a major blind spot in analytical leaders. They often do not realize that understanding is not the same as persuasion, and problem solving is not the same as relationship building. A person can agree with your logic and still not trust you. They can accept your decision and still lose commitment because the relational cost was too high. 2. Impatience High horsepower people often process faster than the people around them. They see the answer early. They get bored by slower thinking, frustrated by repetition, and irritated when others need more context than they do. This can make them decisive and productive. It can also make them hard to work with. They interrupt. They jump ahead. They finish other people’s sentences. They push past concerns before others feel understood. They make those around them feel slow, clumsy, or not worth listening to. This teaches the organization something dangerous. It teaches people that the leader’s mind is the only one that really counts. The safest strategy becomes speaking briefly, deferring quickly, or waiting until the leader has already decided. Then the leader complains that the team is passive or not taking ownership. What they often do not see is that the culture has adapted to them. 3. Emotional underdevelopment hidden by cognitive strength Very bright people can use intellect as a defense against emotional discomfort. They can analyze instead of feel. They can explain instead of reflect. They can argue instead of absorb. They can move to abstraction when the deeper issue is shame, fear, insecurity, hurt, or loneliness. They are often unaware this is happening. They do not experience themselves as defended. They experience themselves as rational. But leadership requires emotional range. Not sentimentality. Not therapeutic language. Real range. The ability to notice your own reactions before they control your behavior. The ability to tolerate feeling wrong, uncertain, criticized, or less competent than you want to appear. The ability to stay present when another person is disappointed, anxious, or angry without immediately shutting it down, fixing it, or counterattacking. Leaders who cannot do this often become brittle. They look composed until challenged in just the wrong way. Then out comes defensiveness, coldness, contempt, withdrawal, or overcontrol. 4. Low interpersonal curiosity Smart leaders are often highly curious about ideas, products, markets, and strategy, but not necessarily about people. They know how to interrogate problems, but not always how to explore another person’s inner world. They ask what happened, but not what it felt like. They want the conclusion, not the hesitation. They want the output, not the psychology. People do not trust leaders simply because they are competent. They trust leaders who show that they are trying to understand them. Interpersonal curiosity communicates respect. A leader does not have to agree with someone to make that person feel seen. But when the leader skips that step, people feel reduced to functions rather than treated as human beings. 5. Weak awareness of impact Many smart leaders are genuinely surprised by how strongly people react to them. They tell themselves, “I was just being direct,” or “I was only asking a question.” In their own minds, intent carries most of the moral weight. If they did not mean harm, then the reaction seems excessive. But leadership does not work that way. Impact matters because power magnifies everything. A passing comment from a founder can ruin a weekend. A skeptical look from a senior executive can silence a room. A blunt critique can stick in someone’s head for months. High IQ leaders often underestimate this because they evaluate themselves from the inside while everyone else experiences them from the outside. That gap sits at the center of many 360 feedback problems. The Identity Trap There is another layer here. Some smart leaders have been rewarded for being exceptional for so long that they quietly build their identity around being the smartest person in the room. They may not say it out loud. They may even dislike arrogance in others. But inside, being quick, insightful, and right has become central to their sense of worth. Once that happens, other people’s competence can feel threatening. Feedback becomes harder to absorb. Collaboration becomes more performative than real. The leader listens selectively, especially when they believe the other person is less capable. They become invested in remaining the mental center of gravity. That is a dangerous place to lead from. It turns intelligence into status defense. It makes humility feel like loss. It makes genuine curiosity harder. And it makes the leader lonelier than they realize, because very few people feel close to someone who always has to occupy the top intellectual position. The Shift That Matters The good news is that these problems are workable. In fact, smart leaders often improve quickly once they see the pattern clearly. Their intelligence then becomes an ally rather than a shield. But improvement requires a shift in model. Leadership is not just about being right. It is about creating enough trust, clarity, and psychological safety that the best thinking of the group can emerge. Your job is not merely to contribute your intelligence. It is to increase the total intelligence of the system. That means treating emotions as information rather than interference. It means becoming curious about your own interpersonal signature. What happens to people in your presence when you are under pressure. Do they get more open or more cautious. More honest or more political. More energized or more tense. Those are not soft questions. They are the real scorecard of leadership impact. It also means slowing down your certainty just enough to make room for other minds. Ask one more question before concluding. Stay with the other person’s frame a little longer. Notice when you are moving to solution because you are uncomfortable with uncertainty or emotion. Let people finish. Reflect before rebutting. And it means understanding that warmth and strength are not opposites. Many analytical leaders fear that becoming more emotionally intelligent will make them softer or less respected. The opposite is usually true. Leaders become more effective when people experience them as both rigorous and fair, both clear and human, both demanding and safe enough to tell the truth to. Practical Experiments A few simple practices can help. In your next one on one, spend more time understanding than advising. In your next disagreement, summarize the other person’s view in a way they agree is accurate before stating your own. In your next leadership meeting, track how often you interrupt, redirect, or signal impatience. After a difficult conversation, ask yourself not only whether your point was valid, but what emotional residue you likely left behind. Ask two trusted people what it feels like to disagree with you, and listen without defending. Final Thought Human beings are not engineering problems. They are not solved by superior reasoning alone. They need respect, steadiness, dignity, trust, and emotional attunement. That is why so many smart leaders struggle. Not because they are too intelligent, but because they have leaned on the wrong part of themselves for too long. At a certain point in leadership, your mind stops being the main differentiator. Plenty of people are smart. What becomes rarer is the ability to combine intelligence with self awareness, candor with sensitivity, high standards with trust, and authority with emotional maturity. That is when a smart leader becomes someone people actually want to follow.