The Objective Leader
To act in a more rational way, we have to better understand and control the automatisms of our brain.
Author(s): Elizabeth R. Thornton
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Date of publication: 2015
Manageris opinion
Is completely rational behavior possible? Is the image of the objective professional who decides exclusively based on facts just a myth? To this question, Elizabeth R. Thornton clearly answers “yes.” As disconcerting as it may be, we are never completely objective. From the second we perceive a person, situation or object with our senses, our brain filters and sorts the information received based on our past experiences. It carries out numerous automatic operations to keep us from feeling like newborns at every turn, obliged to analyze everything for the first time. This mechanism is hence vital. But it also naturally leads of us to look at the world subjectively. We cannot help but unconsciously project on the present situation the convictions and thought patterns we have forged through past experience.
Becoming more objective means controlling the impact of this phenomenon. This book invites us to do just that. The author explains the biases to which we are subjected. She offers advice to avoid being trapped by our automatic reactions and judgments. In particular, she provides tips to limit the likelihood of reacting inappropriately in the heat of the moment or to “reprogram” our brain in order to change our habitual thinking patterns.
A relevant and destabilizing perspective that encourages readers to ponder the notion of truth.
