Exploring the Art of Debate to Make Better Leadership Decisions

Key Takeaways:

•    Debates can lead to more authentic discussion and better decision making.
•    Leveraging team meetings for discussion, rather than information dissemination, may lead to creative problem solving.

We leverage the art of the debate to decide who to vote for in a democratic system. Meanwhile, debates are rarely used in business decision-making processes, and they are often discouraged in team meetings. 

Clips from the September 2024 Presidential Debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are going viral, and undecided voters are pledging support with more certainty. While there may be some quibbles over who won on certain issues, articles on Fox News and MSNBC alike suggested who won technically, though the reasoning differed.

Whether the belief is that one candidate out maneuvered the other or that there were external factors, everyone agrees that debates like this matter to the general public. The performance of potential leaders in these debates matters to those they will lead. They matter because they are revelatory. 

A public debate can change minds and hearts. Unlike a speech, in which a leader can script everything and read from a teleprompter, debates force leaders to engage with their topics in an unscripted format that can unearth new details. They can bring to light inconsistencies or a lack of concrete information. 

For these reasons, debates evoke a certain authenticity, whether the candidates want them to or not.

In the business world, there seem fewer instances of putting intention, understanding, and agility on display than in politics. It does pose the question, however, as to whether we are missing something when considering different candidates for leadership positions and when making vital decisions.

Imagine a team meeting in which issues were discussed and debated rather than information simply being disseminated. Imagine employees watching two potential CEO candidates discuss how they might lead. Imagine vital decisions in business, from hiring a new team member to which project to invest in, made with lively debate and critical analysis that leverages the input of more than just one person. 

There has been research on the value of team meetings engaging multiple perspectives. Rather than listening to the loudest or most senior person in the room, leaders who encourage more structured debate might find that better, more thoughtful decisions are made. Ultimately, stronger decision-making means better results.

Additional Sources:

Mankins, Michael. Stop Wasting Valuable Time

Lee, Michael. Fox News Voter Panel Says Harris Won the Debate

Seo, Bo. The art of debating taught me to see another view – it’s a skill that brings people together