S8 Ep25: ‘The Art of Judgement’ with Sir Andrew Likierman

In this episode of The Evolving Leader, Jean Gomes is joined by Sir Andrew Likierman, former Dean of London Business School and one of the world’s leading experts on judgment. Drawing from decades of research across business, government, medicine, and the military, Andrew breaks down what judgment really is: the combination of personal qualities, relevant knowledge, and lived experience applied to a particular decision.

Together, they explore:
• Why judgment is not the same as intelligence or expertise
• The six components that shape every decision
• How to spot (and avoid) bad judgment
• The rising importance of human judgment in the age of AI
• Practical ways leaders can develop and embed better judgment in their teams

Whether you're leading through uncertainty or navigating complex decisions, this episode offers essential insights into what makes judgment a critical (and trainable) human advantage.

00:00 Introduction
01:49 Andrew Likierman’s background
03:05 What is judgement and why is it important?
04:43 What does bad judgement look like?
07:13 Can you describe the components of bad judgement that you have identified?
13:30 It’s not an entirely linear process is it?
14:42 Do you see cultural differences when one aspect of this is stronger or weaker in different cultures of parts of the world, or is it random?
16:47 You have been studying this for a long time. How have you seen judgement or the nature of judgement change in its relative importance during that time?
19:04 When you look at organisations, what proportion do you see that have a more systematic approach to judgement?
21:18 What do you advise leaders who want to build a culture of good judgement?
24:21 What are the simple practical things that a leader could be doing to improve their judgement?
27:01 How does judgement help does with prediction and forecasting and embracing uncertainty?
30:03 How do you help people to think about their feelings and belief and the influence
?
32:38 What might be missing in the education system that would help people begin the journey to have better judgement?
33:47 Have you noticed a difference in the evolution of judgement across generations?
35:36 Thinking about individual or organisational strengths.
38:42 How AI is changing the game in judgement?
42:16 As the stakes get higher, judgement becomes a more sophisticated skill that we must develop, relying on knowledge and experience.
44:19 How do we measure judgement?
47:17 Who is doing that well by not falling into the trap of confusing outcomes driven by luck vs judgement?
49:04 You have described the pain of writing ‘Judgement at Work’. What did you leave out and what’s next for you in terms of your research?
51:17 Where or who would you like access to in order to help improve their judgement?


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The Evolving Leader is researched, written and presented by Jean Gomes and Scott Allender with production by Phil Kerby. It is an Outside production.

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