The Seasoned Executive

Simple thoughts by Chester B. Cabalza


“In matters of style, swim with the current: in matters of principle, stand like a rock.” - Thomas Jefferson, as quoted in Careertracking: 26 success Shortcuts to the Top (1988)

I sometimes think how a great manager can handle a big organization – minute by minute how he decides and analyze problems and inevitable situations and at the end of the day becomes successful after firm decisions. Indeed, seasoned managers at all levels must play the role of very good decision makers. However, to become effective decision makers, he must undergo a process – by learning new skills and behaviors and by creating and evaluating options.

The article of “The Seasoned Executive’s Decision-Making Style,” suggests four styles of decision making of a seasoned executive. He must be (1) decisive, (2) flexible, (3) hierarchic, and (4) integrative. Naturally, I believe that managers make decisions differently in public settings as well as in private settings. Herein, to be decisive means that the decision style is direct, efficient, fast, and firm. Publicly, this action-focused style comes across as task-oriented.

In the chart of styles of decision-making, the author Kenneth Brousseau, in gist illustrated the following options: to be flexible suggests that this style is about speed and adaptability. Managers make decisions quickly and change course just as quickly to keep abreast of immediate and shifting situations. Thus in public, this flexible style comes across as highly social and responsive. The hierarchic style of decision making insist that people using this highly analytical and focused style expect their decisions, once taken, to be final and to stand the test of time. Also in public, this complex style comes across as highly intellectual. Lastly, the integrative mode speaks of people frame problems broadly, using input from many sources, and makes decisions involving multiple courses of action that may evolve over time as circumstances change. In public, this creative style comes across as highly participative. In my view, I see myself as flexible yet integrative, multifocus yet maximizing in the number of options in my decision-making.

It says that it is essential to use leadership style that keeps the information pipeline open and the data flowing freely to access best information and analysis. However, the most successful managers come to the convergence zone more quickly than the least successful and continue to adjust and adapt to different styles as their careers progress.

Needless to say, one of the flaws of managers is that they fail to evolve on how they make decisions and fail to recognize and correct their erroneous decision. A brave and seasoned executive must at all times follow what is righteous and upright. This brings to the idea that global managers emerge, they must ensure a culture of effective and efficient leadership by way of their good decision-making, at times of risky and difficult times. And as pointed out by the author, when decision-making style is compared in Europe, Asia, and Latin America, there is apparent cultural impact on leadership and thinking styles. The differences in terms of which styles vary from one culture to another. What matters most is the universal principle that they must learn, adapt, evolve, and keep abreast with their leadership styles and good decision-making process.