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Decision-making under pressure is a core leadership skill needed in life, and business. Leadership bias may not be immediately obvious but they are stumbling block, Managers of today must become aware of to succeed. This week, we will uncover some types of cognitive leadership biases that will help make your decisions and judgement more accurate and relevant in your place of work. Number 1. Confirmation bias. The confirmation bias is the tendency to pay more attention to information that confirms our existing beliefs. People tend to favor information that reinforces the things they already think or believe, avoiding evidence of the contrary. For Example: • You heard from several people that sweets are unhealthy. Therefore, you’ll be more likely to click on videos and read articles that confirm this statement rather the ones of a different opinion. Cognitive Biases to be Mindful of When Decision-Making Number 2. Bandwagon effect. It is the tendency of an individual to acquire a particular style, behaviour or attitude because everyone else is doing it. As more people come to believe in something, others also “hop on the bandwagon” regardless of the underlying evidence. Other names for this are “herd mentality” or “group thinking.” In a corporate context, if one person doesn’t feel like talking because it goes against the majority, the whole group is likely to miss out on a great idea. This isn't just a leadership bias, this bias is by nature widespread throughout an entire organization. For Example: • Voting for the most popular candidate in an election because you want to be part of the majority. Or • In a meeting, as more people agree on something, you are more likely to agree on that same object and align with the majority. Cognitive Biases to be Mindful of When Decision-Making Number 3. Ostrich effect. The ostrich effect is a cognitive bias that causes people to avoid information they perceive as potentially unpleasant. Instead of dealing with a situation, some people prefer to bury their heads in the sand, like ostriches, thinking it will go away. This often makes things worse, as we inflict ourselves costs we might not have had to pay if we had faced the situation in the first place. For Example: Avoiding to look at your bills, because you’re worried about how far behind you are on your payments. Or Avoiding relevant feedback that could have helped get a better understanding of a situation. Cognitive Biases to be Mindful of When Decision-Making Number 4. Fundamental attribution error. The fundamental attribution error describes how, when making judgments about people’s behavior, we overemphasize personality traits and downplay situational factors. In other words, we assume that no matter the context, a person’s actions usually reflect who they are as an individual. This often leads to unfair and incorrect judgements about people as we aren’t taking into consideration all possible reasons for their behavior. For Example: Judging the driver that just cut you off as selfish and careless about others’ safety. What you don’t know is that he’s the most generous person and actually had an emergency as his wife was giving birth. This week, we learned about some of the cognitive leadership biases – namely Confirmation bias, Bandwagon effect, Ostrich effect, and Fundamental attribution error. Practising mindfulness can considerably help you reduce leadership biases and increase your ability as a decisive leader. So the next time you have to make an important decision, try to be intentional in questioning your own beliefs and being critical. As a result, your judgement and thoughts are likely to become more accurate and relevant, bringing you closer to reality.