Weekends are time when things slow down a little. Your weekend shouldn’t be two more regular workdays. That’s a sure road to burnout. Take time to refresh yourself. Take time for something different. Take time for some of that reading you can’t find time for during the week.

Here are choice articles on hot leadership topics culled from the business schools, the business press and major consulting firms. This week there are articles about decision making.

From Althea Need Kaminske: Can We Teach Critical Thinking?

“Arguably one of the most valued and sought after skills that students are expected to learn is critical thinking. The ability to think critically, and by extension solve problems and exercise effective decision making, is highly prized among employers and academics. Instructors and programs therefore face a lot of pressure to improve this valuable skill. So what does the research tell us about critical thinking?”

From Alan Todd and John Austin: Three Small Actions To Make Better Decisions

“a study of 500 managers and executives concluded that 98 percent of business leaders fail to apply best practices when making decisions. The problem stems from a fundamental leadership trap: a deadly cycle of overconfidence fueled by a leader’s limited mindset and confirmation bias. Thankfully, there are three small actions every leader can take to help them escape this trap.”

From Adi Gaskell: The Contextual Support Decision Makers Need

“Making complex decisions often involves a complex array of trade offs and compromises. This is especially so in social and community settings where economic, social and environmental aspects all have to be taken into account. Recent research from the University of Missouri highlights the important role decision support tools can play in helping decision makers take all the relevant factors into account.”

From Michele Wucker: The new behavioral science of risk taking in business

“Understanding people’s tolerance for and approach to risk can help companies build teams and improve decision making.”

From Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries: Want More Creative Breakthroughs? Slow Down

“Many years ago, the CEO of a conglomerate asked me to sit in an executive meeting to observe the team dynamics. What surprised me during this meeting was the absence of decisions, even though various issues were discussed at length. When I mentioned it to the CEO, he said that the team would take decisions the next day. He had discovered that decision quality was much better when everyone had had the chance to sleep on it.”

From Sir Andrew Likierman: The Elements of Good Judgment

“A decision must be made. The facts have been assembled, and the arguments for and against the options spelled out, but no clear evidence supports any particular one. Now people around the table turn to the CEO. What they’re looking for is good judgment—an interpretation of the evidence that points to the right choice.”

From Wolfgang Ulaga: Discovering the Hidden Drivers of Decision Making

“A time-tested technique from academic research can help practitioners better understand their stakeholders.”

Book Suggestions

The Gray Rhino: How to Recognize and Act on the Obvious Dangers We Ignore by Michele Wucker

Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work by Chip Heath and Dan Heath