Leadership Behaviors that Influence Decision Making

28 Jul Leadership Behaviours that Influence Decision Making

Posted at 20:29h in Leadership Development, three-blogs by
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Leadership Behaviours that Matter

Have you wondered why certain behaviours of leaders and managers have a productive influence on their team’s decision making? We’ve tried to collate and compare few of the key leadership behaviours that have either made a productive or unproductive influence on team’s decision making. These behaviours have been observed by us during leadership team meetings or when assessments were done during group tasks for participants who were being assessed for their leadership potential. These are key behaviours with the highest impact on team’s decision making that have been considered and may not be comprehensive. This list is created to make both young and experienced managers and leaders to become aware of which of these behaviours they display more often during team meetings.

Leadership Behaviours that have an Unproductive Influence on Team's Decision Making

    1. Hesitate to share one’s ideas either due to shyness or purposefully to not let others know about those ideas.
    2. Try to dominate giving ideas without letting others share.
    3. Give opinions without supporting facts, data and research.
    4. Interrupt often when other shares ideas and views to show off that they know it better than others.
    5. Criticize often when others share ideas and views.
    6. Prevent members to share their emotions on differing opinions and views.
    7. Remain silent most of the time during meetings.
    8. Hesitate to allot roles in the group like timekeeper, note-taker, emotion-handler, reviewer etc.
    9. Discourage others to speak up.
    10. Express ideas and views very softly that sometimes is difficult to be heard.
    11. Prefer to stick to one’s own ideas rather than building on others ideas and views.
    12. Lack clarity on who is to do what tasks and there is no clear action plans.
    13. Dislike acknowledging or appreciating ideas and views of others.
    14. Discourage or shut down people who may have differing view points.
    15. Ignore the emotions of others or how they feel about the shared idea.
    16. Become silent or stops contributing when one’s ideas and views are criticized.
    17. Lack of review of previous action plans.
    18. Members don’t take accountability for roles or tasks they could not complete.
    19. Clarifying questions are less asked despite being unclear or not having understood. There is pretence.
    20. The merits and demerits of ideas and views are not discussed in details. There is either a very superficial discussion or only one-sided views and opinions are upheld.
    21. There is too much seriousness and lack of humour during the meeting. Humour if used is more sarcastic or used for putting down others ideas and views.
    22. There is a prevalence of “I know it All” Attitude than “We all know it”

Leadership Behaviours that have a Productive Influence on Team's Decision Making

    1. Initiate to give ideas during meetings.
    2. Express views and ideas firmly so that is heard and understood clearly.
    3. Allow and permit others to speak up.
    4. Ask relevant and required clarifying questions on suggested ideas.
    5. Share information proactively.
    6. Speak with supporting facts, data and research.
    7. Allow members to express their emotions on an idea or views without shutting them down.
    8. Let others finish giving their ideas and views completely without interruption.
    9. Listen without interruption or the itch to complete other’s sentences.
    10. Paraphrase or repeat what others have said to ensure understanding than assuming or forming a judgment.
    11. Pitch in with ideas when required after letting even others to share their ideas and views.
    12. Build on the ideas and views of other even if it is not one’s original idea.
    13. Allot various roles in the group like timekeeper, note-taker, emotion-handler, reviewer etc.
    14. Provide clarity on tasks to be done during and after the meeting.
    15. Take on roles when allotted according to one’s strengths in that area.
    16. Take notes when others share to ensure understanding and summarizing.
    17. Summarize ideas for the group.
    18. Encourage others to speak up especially those who are silent and reserved.
    19. Appreciate and acknowledges the ideas shared by others without being initially critical.
    20. Show care for group members by checking on members concerns emotionally as well as on their physical needs.
    21. Despite being pushed or criticized on one’s ideas and views, does not stop contributing without being dominating.
    22. Try to evaluate impact of ideas and views using framework of company’s policies, processes, people impact and community.
    23. There is accountability review of previous action plans.
    24. Members allow for and participate in positive humour and fun while working without putting down others or affecting productivity.

We encourage the readers to share and express behaviours beyond this which they have personally experienced that has either made a productive or unproductive influence on a team’s decision making.

2 Comments
  • Dr Manoj George Varghese
    Posted at 04:50h, 29 July Reply

    As always a very thoughtful and thought provoking analysis brought out in simple words. It will help me in analyzing my staff and to make my board meetings productive. Regards

    • changecatalysts
      Posted at 17:54h, 31 July Reply

      Thanks Dr. Manoj for sharing your views that this article proved useful to you for analyzing your staff. Wish you more productive meetings.

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