

57: Dodging Leadership Landmines: 9 Decision Pitfalls to Avoid | Damon Lembi
A recent McKinsey study shows that leaders spend 40% of their time making decisions. With so much at stake, shouldn’t it be critical for leaders to master decision-making? In this solo episode of The Learn-It-All Podcast, Damon Lembi, CEO of Learnit, uncovers 9 of the most common decision-making pitfalls that leaders face—and how to avoid them. Whether you're steering a small team or a large organization, these insights will help you lead with confidence and avoid costly mistakes. Dodging Leadership Landmines: 9 Decision Pitfalls to Avoid
This Episode Covers:
- Rushing Decisions: The Hidden Dangers
- Overcoming Decision Paralysis
- Defining Success Before Deciding
- Considering Risks: Why It’s Critical
- Escaping Binary Thinking
- Identifying the Root Cause
- Avoiding Emotional Decisions
Episode Highlights:
(00:18) Introduction to Decision-Making: Damon introduces the importance of decision-making, highlighting a McKinsey study about the significant time leaders spend making decisions.
(00:54) - Rushing Decisions: Discusses the pitfalls of making hasty decisions without thorough consideration and how to avoid them.
(01:54) - Decision Paralysis: Explores the dangers of overthinking and how to overcome the fear of making decisions with less than perfect information.
(03:00) - Undefined Success: Highlights the importance of clearly defining success criteria before making decisions to avoid misaligned outcomes.
(07:24) - Treating Symptoms, Not Causes: Damon shares a story illustrating the significance of addressing root causes rather than just symptoms in decision-making.
(11:05) - Emotional Decisions: Discusses the impact of emotions on decision-making and strategies to prevent emotional bias.
About Damon:
Damon Lembi is the CEO of Learnit, a live learning platform that has upskilled over 2 million individuals in the past 30 years. With a deep passion for leadership and decision-making, Damon draws on his extensive experience to help leaders make smarter, more informed decisions. He is a frequent speaker on leadership topics and is known for his engaging storytelling that brings practical insights to life.
Connect with Damon:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/damonlembi
- Learnit: https://www.learnit.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/damonlembi
- The Learn-It-All Leader
Resources Referenced:
- McKinsey study on decision-making time for leaders
- Upstream by Dan Heath
- Good Decisions Equal Success by Damon Lembi and Candice Porter
- Farnum Street Blog
Podcast Contact
Website: https://www.thelearnitallleader.com/p...
Email: podcast@learnit.com
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