Comments on: Leadership and Politics: Cognitive Dissonance? http://leadershiptrainingdevelopment.com/leadership-and-politics-cognitive-dissonance Leadership Development and Leadership Training without the Hype Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:00:15 -0500 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.5 By: Bill Rushmore http://leadershiptrainingdevelopment.com/leadership-and-politics-cognitive-dissonance#comment-30 Bill Rushmore Fri, 21 Mar 2008 13:11:01 +0000 http://leadershiptrainingdevelopment.com/leadership-and-politics-cognitive-dissonance#comment-30 Apparently, many of the professionals on the lending side discounted the downside risk also. This unfortunately, is common in human behavior. Professionals get sucked up in bubble investing and purchase investments like mortgage backed securities just like the amateurs. So good leaders also have to know how the human brain fools us so they can work harder on communicating the potential pitfalls while keeping the message positive as well. This is possibly one of the more difficult task of leaders. People hear the message but almost automatically discount the part they don't believe. In a small team, you can work on two communications to detect the bias each of us has. Then you can work on balance of that bias against the facts. In politics, the two-way communication is of course more difficult. It is probably made more difficult by politicians who use these natural filters to what they perceive as to their advantage rather than to the countries advantage. Apparently, many of the professionals on the lending side discounted the downside risk also. This unfortunately, is common in human behavior. Professionals get sucked up in bubble investing and purchase investments like mortgage backed securities just like the amateurs.

So good leaders also have to know how the human brain fools us so they can work harder on communicating the potential pitfalls while keeping the message positive as well. This is possibly one of the more difficult task of leaders.

People hear the message but almost automatically discount the part they don’t believe. In a small team, you can work on two communications to detect the bias each of us has. Then you can work on balance of that bias against the facts.

In politics, the two-way communication is of course more difficult. It is probably made more difficult by politicians who use these natural filters to what they perceive as to their advantage rather than to the countries advantage.

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