Judgment.
When I did the VIA Character study, the 5th virtue that was presented to me as a strength of mine was judgment. I was simultaneously surprised and curious about the result, as this trait wasn’t as obvious to me as some of the others, like ‘Love of Learning’ (I read/listen to books every day) or Hope (I’m always looking toward the future).
But in brainstorming the right ‘J’ words for this Letters of Leadership, Judgment made a ton of sense. While the quiz I took recognized it as a strength of mine, I certainly have a ton more to learn about what it means to exercise good judgment, but below are some thoughts on why I thought it was important to include for this series. First, let’s define Judgment:
1. The process of forming an opinion or evaluating by discerning and comparing
2. A formal utterance or authoritative opinion
For leaders, each are important. Unfortunately, I believe our culture blinks right past number 1 in a hurry to overvalue or react to number 2.
I can see why, to an extent. Number 1 takes a lot of work. The judge in the world of law has to hear both sides of an argument and weigh those utterances and opinions carefully. After all, someone’s life is on the line.
But definition 2 simply takes courage. While you’d hope that definition 1 influences an individual’s expression of opinion, it’s certainly not required. The failure to exercise discernment and careful processing of facts is precisely the way our culture has made the quality of judgment less of a virtue and more of an insult.
We expect leaders to have good and sound judgment but loathe the judgmental. The difference? One does the work to evaluate the context, relationships, beliefs, circumstances, environment, and outcome of their decision versus the one that simply opens their mouth.
And unfortunately, the platforms where we communicate incentivize the latter, not the former.
There’s much more to be said about judgment and its place in our work and life and I believe the best exercise of my own is to let my case rest and share this excellent article about the topic from Harvard Business Review.
The author shares what he calls six basic components of judgment: Learning, trust, experience, detachment, options, and delivery.
He also cites a book about Judgment which I’m adding to my wish list.
Jump.
When you’re a kid, jumping is a preferred method of movement. Everything seems suitable to jump on or over. Jumping also acts as a way to communicate in the absence of more advanced language; jumping seems like the best way to share enthusiasm, draw attention, and express oneself. But as we get older, our aptitude for jumping seems to wane.
This is to be expected considering as we mature into adulthood an increase in body mass alone is reason enough to cut back on the bounding. One would also hope our team members would have more advanced ways to communicate excitement or distress than jumping around the office all day. But jumping is still important for leaders. Physically or metaphorically, jumping is a critical skill.
Entrepreneurs understand the jump. There’s a moment where the safe salary is no longer carrying you, and it’s up to the parachute of your own making to glide you down to the firm ground.
Career professionals understand the jump. There are times when you arrive at the glass ceiling, and the only way to break through is to jump into a more candid conversation with a superior or make the leap to another building.
Community servants understand the jump. Whether it’s a crack in a sidewalk or a gap as wide as the grand canyon, enrolling others into a cause can take the skill level of a professional jump rope team to maneuver through obstacles and complete projects for the good of the whole.
No matter what context you’re in, you will inevitably face a jump point. The question is whether you will have the courage to make the leap, and when you hit the ground, be willing to go again.
Joy.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” — Galatians 5:22-23, NASB
When deciding on what three words to use for a given letter in the Letters of Leadership series I have a very loose idea of what journey the first, second, and third words will take me on. Realizing that Joy, a fruit of the Spirit in Christianity is not constrained by “law” after ruminating on judgment for a few hundred words is a rewarding narrative thread to see manifest.
Joy is often differentiated from happiness as an experience that is independent of circumstance. While we may not be experiencing a feeling of happiness, we can still possess inward joy. If happiness is how we feel when everything is in our favor, joy is the contentment that can be found beneath the surface when life isn’t going our way.
“The Joy Choice” is the title of Michelle Segar’s most recent book and what she calls “the antidote to all-or-nothing thinking” when we find ourselves in a situation where we must improvise our plans in the face of what life happens to throw at us. It’s the decision-making that helps us stay on track with the person we strive to become through the actions we take even in the face of circumstances that are less than ideal.
As a leader, my hope is that in the face of difficult judgments and moments of decision, I presence myself to the joy that can be found in the smallest movement, even if it doesn’t feel like forward progress.