126: How to Humanize Innovation Leadership

Innovation Storytellers

In today's fast-paced, ever-evolving business landscape, leadership is under constant scrutiny. The spotlight often shines on the balance—or imbalance—between two critical aspects of decision-making: logic and intuition. While some say good leadership relies on hard facts and analytics, others argue that instinct plays an invaluable role. I sit down with Mary Pat Knight, an authority on humanized leadership, who compellingly addresses this intricate balance between head and heart.

Mary Pat Knight has a fascinating perspective that even engineers—often regarded as the epitomes of logic and structured thinking—can use to hone their instinctual skills. She points out that engineers are generally trained to rely on data, to scrutinize every decision through the lens of calculations and structured processes. However, the art of leadership requires more than just crunching numbers; it requires acknowledging that sometimes, instinct whispers critical pieces of information that raw data can't capture.

What's remarkable about Mary Pat Knight's view is that she doesn't advocate for the abandonment of logic for instinct, or vice versa. Instead, she champions the harmonious blend of passion and logic, the quintessence of what she calls humanized leadership. Leaders who successfully balance their analytical skills with emotional intelligence create work environments that value instinct and data, leading to more well-rounded decisions.

Listen in as Mary Pat Knight unravels the intricate process of integrating intuition into a traditionally logical decision-making environment. Whether you are leading a team, building a business, or simply curious about the subtleties of effective leadership, the insights she provides are both practical and transformative. She makes a compelling case for the need to be both analytical and emotional, logical and instinctual, in our roles as leaders. This multi-faceted approach to leadership is not just about making better decisions; it's about making decisions that are comprehensive, inclusive, and, most importantly, human.