I “grew up” in the private sector for the first 27 years of my career before becoming the first Chief Wellbeing Officer (CWO) at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in 2022.
During my time in the private sector, I excelled working alongside high performers. Both Johnson & Johnson and Mayo Clinic, my employers prior to the CIA role, had impressive missions and were defined by their in-house expertise. Having a sense of purpose in my work was essential to my success and collaborating with experts from around the world was empowering. Equally as impactful was the bias for action I had experienced while working within these two incredible organizations.
A bias for action is a tendency to take action over inaction, particularly when uncertainty exists.
It is the opposite of “analysis paralysis” and a catalyst that drives progress over time. In my 27 years, I had seen how leaning towards action empowers teams to take risks, innovate and experiment. Learning to have a bias for action during times of uncertainty and change was foundational to my own success, as well as the teams I had led in my career.
Fast forward to my role as CWO within the premier intelligence agency of the world. This experience did not disappoint and solidified my understanding of the importance of having a bias for action. I had the opportunity to work alongside exceptional leaders who were responsible for ensuring our national security agenda while challenged daily with uncertainty, adversaries, and changing environments. When a bias for action is coupled with critical thinking and judgement, the mission at hand is achieved.
As an organizational psychologist focused on building cultures that drive peak performance through wellbeing, I was most impressed when leaders shared their decision-making rationale with team members. The impact on their workplace culture was tangible. A bias for action, combined with transparency and confidence enabled leaders to build trust and ensure clarity for all team members. Team members learned their leader’s tolerance for risk.
Throughout my career, I have learned that peak performance is achieved by leaders who have a bias for action and the judgement to ensure the speed accelerates trust, confidence, and clarity. With only speed, this is not the result. A leader’s decision-making approach directly impacts workplace culture and in every competitive environment, innovation is necessary to overcome challenges. Intuitive leaders have a bias for action and the necessary judgement to not only determine the best path forward, but also ensure their teams are on the path with them.