When it comes to making decisions, emotions can be a benefit, such as when they drive us to achieve great things for the right reasons. Or a curse, particularly when making big decisions.

The Wall Street Journal article I Wanted to Fit In With Hollywood’s Cool Kids. So I Made the Biggest Mistake of My Career by Michael Lynton, the former CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment, is a perfect example of how emotions can impact decision making. It’s high profile, it’s a story built from deep roots, it’s a personal story, and the fallout from that one decision was immense.

In my book Team Think: How Teams Make Great Decisions I write about decision categorisation and the need to follow a much different process for one-way, irreversible decisions. As I pondered this article, I asked myself, “Was this a one-way irreversible decision?”. After all, a change of mind at any time in the ensuing process of producing and then publishing a comedy involving a plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong-un would have seen a reversal of fortune.

Unfortunately for Michael Lynton, he did not see the risk he was taking. If you don’t understand the risk you are taking, you can’t categorise decisions appropriately. And if not categorised appropriately, you can overcook or undercook decisions, which both have unwanted consequences.

You can read more about my views and those of Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson in this free copy of Chapter 4 – Categorically Critical from Team Think.

Enjoy! 😊