Friends, there’s a quiet problem in leadership today that no one is talking about. It’s not a lack of intelligence, strategy, or even effort. It’s SPEED. We are moving faster and faster every day: emails, communications, meetings, and decisions. And it’s getting worse because the pressure to perform, do more with less, and stay ahead has never been greater.
Interestingly, as I’ve worked with thousands of leaders, I’ve noticed something – fast decisions usually are supported by high confidence…even though they are often wrong.
I believe that the skill of discernment is the antidote to a world that won’t slow down!
What is Discernment?
Just last week, I threw a slide up on the screen that had one word – “Discernment” and instantly an audience member raised his hand and said, “Jason, before you go on, what is discernment?” This is a great question because the word discernment is not often used. Of course, I was going to define it during the message, and I’d love to define it for you now.
The best and simplest way I can define discernment is the skill of slowing down, tuning in, and choosing better…especially when the pressure is high.
It’s sort of like a gut feeling or intuition, but mixed with better timing, better thinking, and better intention.
It’s like that fire chief who calls his whole crew out of a building just before it collapses. How did he know to do that? It’s experience, it’s education, but more importantly, it’s the ability to pause during consequential moments, to see clearly beyond the surface, and to choose a response that creates long-term influence and meaningful impact.
It’s hesitating, but not too long. It’s thinking, but not overthinking. It’s simply clarity under pressure, and it’s the difference between average leaders and uncommon ones.
While many leadership programs teach communication, delegation, and accountability, I’m not aware of any that teach leaders how to choose well when it matters most, and yet, the quality of a leader’s choices determines the quality of their influence.
Why Discernment Matters Now More Than Ever
What’s devastating is that we are all living in a world that won’t slow down. We have this constant, crushing feeling of being behind, so we revert to easy thinking. We choose the quickest answer, the solution that has worked for us in the past, or the choice that makes sense, and while this leads to many right choices, it can also lead to dangerous choices.
To complicate matters even more, we have turned to a fast-growing and widely-accepted solution to all of our need for speed – Artificial Intelligence. While there are some great benefits to AI, please know AI makes fast leaders fast, but it does not make wise leaders wiser.
Unfortunately, many leadership programs teach communication, delegation, and accountability, but I’m not aware of any that teach leaders how to choose well under the pressure of speed. They miss the opportunity to focus on a concept that has been around for centuries…the ability to discern. And yet, the quality of a leader’s ability to use discernment in choices determines the quality of their influence.
When leaders don’t practice discernment:
- They promote too quickly.
- They tolerate the wrong behaviors.
- They pivot emotionally.
- They respond defensively.
- They invest in the wrong priorities.
Discernment changes that. It allows leaders to:
- See beyond the immediate moment.
- Recognize the story they’re telling themselves.
- Separate emotion from evaluation.
- Widen the frame before committing to action.
The amazing thing is that discernment sounds like it takes a lot of time, but it doesn’t. It just requires intention. Intention at pausing. Intention in seeing what is actually going on. Intention in recognizing the mistakes and confidence we experience when choosing quickly.
How Discernment Shows Up in Leadership
Just to be sure, discernment is not:
- Delaying hard decisions.
- Avoiding conflict.
- Gathering endless data.
- Playing it safe.
- Trying to please everyone.
Discernment often leads to courageous decisions, ones that might cause us to defy common practice, say something that we wouldn’t otherwise say, or shift our position on a particular subject.
Discernment shows up in who you promote, what you tolerate, where you invest, when you pivot, and how you respond under pressure. It shows up when you pause before correcting someone publicly, when you ask one more question before assuming intent, or when you widen the frame before narrowing the choice. Who in this day and age of leadership doesn’t need more discernment in their daily choices?
The Leadership Advantage No One Taught You
Most leaders were taught how to execute, but we’ve never been taught how to discern in a world that won’t slow down. That’s why discernment becomes a competitive advantage. It is what makes you uncommon.
Without discernment, leaders:
- Move fast — but lose trust.
- React quickly — but damage culture.
- Enforce authority — but diminish influence.
Influence is not built on how quickly you decide. It’s built on how wisely you choose.
When you discern, your credibility increases, your strategic timing improves, and your long-term trust strengthens. In other words, discernment is a multiplier of leadership impact. It sharpens judgment, improves timing, elevates conversations, increases capacity, and ultimately, it creates more influence and bigger impact.
Some may consider discernment a gift or something that some people are born with, and that is true. But discernment is also a skill. That means we can practice it, improve it, and become experts in it. Doing so will help you move quickly AND choose wisely.
How to Begin Developing Discernment
Over the next few months, pay attention because I’m going to provide several articles that will help you become a Discerning Leader™. For today, simply start by pausing just before an action is about to take place. Maybe before your next one-on-one, or when everyone is looking at you in a team meeting, waiting for a response, or when you’re up against a financial decision. Ask yourself three questions:
- What story am I telling myself?
- What might I be missing?
- What would change if I widened the frame?
Want to Go Deeper?
If you want a structured, practical approach to developing leadership discernment, explore The Discernment Path™, a framework designed to help leaders slow down, see clearly, and choose better when it matters most. Or, check out my latest keynote, How Smart Leaders Choose Better.
Because in a world that won’t slow down, the leaders who learn to do so will shape the future.
