CONCLUSIONS
Two words of wisdom go virtually unquestioned. The first is that leaders should never allow subordinates to bring them problems; instead, they should bring recommendations, opinions, and solutions. The second is that in order to make really good decisions — particularly complex decisions that cut across lateral functions — ensure that various perspectives are sought out. In other words, complex decisions require a diversity of perspectives and stakeholders. These two words of wisdom, however, are often at odds with each other. The purpose of bringing diverse perspectives togetheristo gain a more complete and well-informed view of the problem. Yet, if layered over this complexity and diversity is a culture that expects opinions, recommendations, and argumentsforfavored courses of action — a culture thatseems to be widely present in many if not most organizations — then this diversity will not be sufficiently leveraged. Complex, lateral, and cross-functional decisions require a different process that can better leverage this diversity. At first glance it seems as though leveraging this diversity would require less active leadership. The leader simply needs to ask a diverse group of individuals what they think we ought to do? Right? Wrong, because asking this question coupled with the culture of opinions and recommendations actually incites the exact thing that should be avoided early in the process; namely, the formation of sides and the advocacybased competition that ensues.
