Judgment Calls

Introduction

Great Men, Not So Great Decisions

MORE OFTEN than any of us might care to admit, the course of human affairs relies on great judgment. Even in this age of abundant data and rocket-science analytics, many, many decisions force people to draw on their accumulated wisdom to make the right call. Sometimes that's because the absolute right answer can't be known; the question at hand relates to a future too full of uncertainty. Other times, the optimal solution could be determined based on accessible information, but the urgency of the situation means it can't be assembled in time. In still other cases, conflicting values come into play and the trade-offs defy easy quantification.

As societies and their organizations experience ever-accelerating ...