Good Decisions about Decisions

What If I'm Wrong? and Other Key Questions for Decisive School Leadership by Simon Rodberg
ASCD, August 26, 2020

In his new book What If I'm Wrong? and Other Key Questions for Decisive School Leadership, Simon Rodberg deconstructs the decision-making process and synthesizes relevant cognitive science research into a five-question framework. His work will help school leaders, known to face hard decisions constantly, to spot decision-making errors and to understand the extent to which biased decisions disrupt the alignment between their school's mission and operation. What’s more, this book will help leaders build the habit of strategic decision-making, so that it becomes subconscious and automatic, particularly during urgent situations. Mistakes are often inevitable, and it is crucial to approach them through the lens of an opportunity for learning. Rodberg encourages leaders to reflect on their own thinking and also highlights the aspect of collective responsibility for decision-making in teams. While reflecting on decision-making practices, leaders can and should adopt a more strategic and systematic approach, and in the process, challenge their initial assumptions on the way to fresh perspectives.