Difficult Decisions

Preface: Writing Wrong xi

Chapter 1 Difficult Decisions 1

Making Difficult Decisions 8

How We Make Decisions Now 11

Key Points 22

Chapter 2 The Moral-Ethical-Role Responsibility Triangle 23

Morals versus Ethics: Election 27

Jean and Paula 29

Win as Much as You Can 32

Do the Right Thing 41

Key Points 42

Chapter 3 Morals 43

Communicating Your Morality and Asking about Morality 47

Knowing the Sources of Your Morality 54

Reflecting on the Sources of Your Morality 55

Understanding the Parameters and Boundaries of Your Morality 56

A Moral Exercise 67

Exercise: Morality and Your Leadership Narrative 70

Key Points 73

Chapter 4 Ethics 75

Characteristics of Ethics 77

Ethics Are Contextually Dependent and Are, Therefore, Not Uniform 77

Ethics Can Change over Time 81

Ethics Are about Shared Social Acceptability, but They Are Not about Popularity 83

The Ethics of Leading Politically 92

Waiving Ethics 95

An Exercise in Exceptions 98

Ethics and Judgment 100

An Ethics Exercise 102

Key Points 111

Chapter 5 Role Responsibilities 113

Who You Are Charged to Serve 117

Stakeholder Mapping 118

Socioemotional Role 121

Understanding Dynamic Roles 128

A Role Exercise 137

Key Points 145

Chapter 6 Using the Triangle to Make Difficult Decisions 147

Decision-Making Ecosystem and Its Associated Expectations 148

Thoughtful Learning and Development for the Leader 149

The Importance of Deep Consideration of What Truly Matters to Us 149

What and How to Communicate to Audiences with Varied Needs and Perspectives 150

The Tissue Test 153

Key Points 161

Chapter 7 I Think I Know What I Think; Now What? 163

A Decision-Making Process 164

A View, a Voice, a Vote, or a Veto 180

A View 181

A Voice 182

A Vote 182

A Veto 183

Delegating 184

Facts versus Feelings 186

Tools and Muscles 187

Key Points 190

Afterword 191

Acknowledgments 193

About the Author 197

Index 199