The Power of Noticing: What The Best Leaders See

I finished reading “The Power of Noticing: What The Best Leaders See”, and want to share a summary of this excellent book.

We are all called upon to make decisions based on imperfect data. We may even think we have all of the required information to make a wise choice, only to find out that missing data caused us to make an error. The premise of “The Power of Noticing: What The Best Leaders See” is that we need to rethink the decision-making process to be open to more data points. Author Max Bazerman writes that his suggestions “will provide you with the tools you need to open your eyes and truly notice for the first time— and the rest of your life.”

Among the key takeaways:

“What’s in front of you is rarely all there is. Developing the tendency to ask questions like “What do I wish I knew?” and “What additional information would help inform my decision?” can make all the difference. It can make you a far better decision-maker and even save lives.”

If we focus on one thing, we are blinded by other details. He cites as an example the Challenger disaster, where the spaceship blew up because not enough attention to paid attention to a problem with a small part and difficult weather conditions. “Terrible things happen when our leaders fail to think about data outside their typical focus.”

“The term motivated blindness describes the systematic failure to notice others’ unethical behavior when it is not in our best interest to do so. Simply put, if you have an incentive to view someone positively, it will be difficult to accurately assess the ethicality of that person’s behavior.”

Don’t let yourself get misdirected. Don’t let a salesperson distract you from what you want in a purchasing situation.

Stay skeptical and see beyond the hype.

Predictable surprises occur when we ignore warning sights that a disaster may occur.

Bazerman also writes about how we need to prioritize threats. “Anticipating and avoiding predictable surprises requires leaders to take three critical steps: recognize the threat, prioritize the threat, and mobilize the resources required to prevent the predictable surprise.”

Following the lessons, Bazerman says that when we develop our skills as a ‘noticer,’ we have a greater chance of being a success and a great leader.

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