“But at the end of the day, the cliche about leadership being lonely is true, because no facts, no analysis, no expert can provide the ultimate judgment that is required to make these huge decisions in a state of some ignorance. Good use of experts will show what we think we know but also what we don’t know. And the ‘don’t knows’ are often at the core of the decision. (Can a civil society that provides security, without endemic corruption, to the diverse Afghan people be built to leech their allegiance away from the Taliban?) Plus, the ‘don’t knows’ also include significant uncertainties about how the ‘politics’ of the issue will unfold, never mind the ‘policy’ uncertainties, at least for big public decisions.”
Ben Heineman, a Belfer Center senior fellow, wrote “Deciding in a state of ignorance,” which the Washington Post’s On Leadership blog published on September 29, 2010.
For the full commentary, go to: http://views.washingtonpost.com/leadership/panelists/2010/09/deciding-in-a-state-of-ignorance.html
Belfer In The News 