Executive Judgment Under Complexity

Complex environments require leaders to make quick decisions that often lead to the conflation of decision-making and judgment (Tichy & Bennis, 2007). This paper demonstrates that these terms are separate by showing that decision-making is a momentary action, and judgment emerges as a developmental capacity expressed over time (Tichy & Bennis, 2007; Useem, 2010). Viewing judgment through the lens of complexity (Boulton et al., 2015; Wheatley, 2006), this paper further argues that judgment is not simply a skill, but instead is a capacity developed over time through enhancing sensemaking (Ancona, 2012), dialogue (Bohm, 2004), and suspension (Isaacs, 1999). Together, these capacities work together to surface biases and raise awareness of competing interpretations, all while holding tensions long enough for judgment to emerge. By distinguishing judgment from decision-making and showing how sensemaking, dialogue, and suspension support the development of judgment, this paper demonstrates that effective leadership under complexity depends less on the speed of decisions and more on cultivating judgment over time.