Chapter 6
Speed vs. Wisdom
Mastering Your Executive Decision Making Style
The fast way to do things is to do them slowly the first time.
Every CEO carries two decision-makers in their head. One (System 1) moves at lightning speed — reading a room, sensing market shifts, making snap calls when the window narrows. The second one (System 2) engages the analytical engine — comparing scenarios, running numbers, questioning assumptions when the stakes are high.
Both systems serve you well. System 1 kept our ancestors alive when quick reactions meant survival; System 2 built civilizations through careful planning and deliberate thought. In today’s boardrooms, the art lies in knowing when to trust your gut and when to pump the brakes and think deeply.
Vignette
Leena, Managing Director of a Fashion Retailer
Leena’s reputation for rapid decisions precedes her, like a strobe of light. Her first Fast–Slow Decision assessment helped her recognize her pattern: relying too much on instinct for complex, high-stakes choices. She instituted a 24-hour waiting period for major decisions, reducing the reliance on her gut and balancing it with the insights from supporting data — the decisions have become sharper, outcomes have more impact and there is more robustness to the process.
Exercise
Try it Now
- Decision Diary — for one week, note whether major decisions were made fast (System 1) or slow (System 2). Notice patterns.
- Bias Buddy — ask a trusted colleague to be your “devil’s advocate” for one important decision this month.
- 24-Hour Rule — institute a cooling-off period for decisions over a certain threshold and see if your choice changes.
Take the mirror from this chapter
Begin the assessment →