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Leaders hear 'yes' far too often. They don't hear bad news until it's too late. They get groupthink, not reality. They think they've achieved consensus, then find their decisions undermined by colleagues who never really bought in. They become isolated: even high-risk or illegal actions can go unquestioned. It's an enormous problem: for leaders, for teams, for the entire organization. But is it inevitable? Absolutely not. In this book, Harvard Business School Professor Michael Roberto shows you how to stimulate dissent and debate to improve your decision making; he also shows how to keep that conflict constructive. Of course, conflict alone does not produce better decisions and improved results. Leaders need to cultivate debate and simultaneously build consensus. Strong buy-in paves the way to successful execution. Through fascinating examples from history, including the Columbia space shuttle disaster and the tragedy on Mount Everest, the book explores: How real organizations make real decisions How the decision process unfolds throughout the organization-not just in the executive suite The five myths of executive decision making Why they're so dangerous, and how to overcome them How to foster open debate that actually builds long-term consensus How to achieve "diversity in counsel, unity in command" How to move to closure: overcoming the inability to decide Avoiding "analysis paralysis" and other pitfalls How to gain the whole-hearted commitment to act Addressing hidden doubts that could undermine your final decision Mike Roberto offers powerful new insights into managing teams, mitigating risk, even promoting ethics through effective governance. Whether you're a senior executive or a project team member, this book will help you leverage your team's immense untapped wisdom to make better decisions―and get better results.

Michael A. Roberto is a faculty member at the Harvard Business School. He teaches courses on general management, managerial decision making, and business strategy. Professor Roberto's research focuses on strategic decision-making processes and senior management teams. Recently, he has studied why catastrophic group or organizational failures happen, such as the Columbia space shuttle accident and the 1996 Mount Everest tragedy.

Professor Roberto's work has been published in the Harvard Business Review, California Management Review, and The Leadership Quarterly.

He has taught in the leadership development programs at a number of organizations including Morgan Stanley, Mars, The Home Depot, Novartis, and The World Bank. He has also consulted with organizations such as Johnson & Johnson, Lockheed Martin, Corporate Executive Board, and The Advisory Board.

Professor Roberto earned an M.B.A. with High Distinction and a doctorate from the Harvard Business School. While pursuing graduate studies at Harvard, he taught the introductory undergraduate course in economic theory, twice winning Harvard's Allyn Young Prize for Teaching in Economics.

He lives in Holliston, Massachusetts with his wife, Kristin, and his two daughters, Grace and Celia.

Preface.

Acknowledgments.

I. LEADING THE DECISION PROCESS.

1. The Leadership Challenge.

2. Deciding How to Decide.

II. MANAGING CONFLICT.

3. An Absence of Candor.

4. Stimulating the Clash of Ideas.

5. Keeping Conflict Constructive.

III. BUILDING CONSENSUS.

6. The Dynamics of Indecision.

7. Fair and Legitimate Process.

8. Reaching Closure.

IV. A NEW BREED OF TAKE-CHARGE LEADER.

9. Leading with Restraint.

Appendix Endnotes.

Index.