Jumping to judgment? The conscious leadership advantage of unlocking understanding

When was the last time you felt unfairly judged at work? 

And,  being honest with yourself, when was the last time you made a snap judgment about someone else? 

Most people understand how judgment feels, either as the judger or the judgee.

Judging is a natural human tendency. It’s helpful to understand why it happens and what we can do to move to understanding instead.

As it’s been Mental Health Awareness Day this month, being aware of the value of moving to understanding instead of judgment is even more relevant. The fear of being judged is often quoted in the research as a barrier to people speaking openly about their mental health at work. They might worry about being seen as less capable, or that their struggles will be viewed as a weakness. Actively practising non-judgment fundamentally supports team wellbeing, and the bonus is that non-judgment is a powerful leadership technique. 

For conscious leaders, one vital skill is learning to consciously work with the automatic judgments that our brains love to jump to. This skill is so important to building trust, connection and psychological safety that are hallmarks of high-performing teams.

Why are our brains so quick to judge?

One reason is that human brains are designed to assess social situations for acceptance or rejection. In evolutionary terms, our survival depended on being part of a group. This required quick judgments. Judging something as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ is a very fast way to assess a situation and decide how to react. This was undoubtedly useful for our ancestors' survival, but in the modern workplace, it often gets in the way.

At work, this neural function influences our interactions and decisions without us even realising it. The brain likes efficiency, so wherever possible, it will create mental shortcuts to categorise people and situations instantly to cope with the deluge of information constantly coming into the brain. From an energy-management perspective, this is an efficient way to make sense of the world.

However, these brain shortcuts categorise people and situations instantly, often without our conscious awareness, so this also creates unconscious bias. These deep-seated biases influence how we think and make decisions,which often adversely impact the fairness and accuracy of our judgments. 

Also, the workplace is an evaluative environment by nature. Leaders and employees are constantly assessing (and assessed on) skills, value and performance. This pushes us into judgment mode more often than not.  

Additionally, in high-pressure contexts, where people are more stressed, our instincts can take over, leading to poor judgment if not consciously managed. On this same theme of unconscious drivers, leaders also benefit from being conscious of how their personal ego may cloud their judgment and lead to suboptimal decisions.

The high cost of a judgmental environment

Whether judgment looks like people who are quick to criticise, blame others, or self-justify, it has a damaging effect on the entire team. Judgment undermines trust which makes it very difficult to build genuine connections.

Of course, when people fear being judged at work, they stop taking risks to keep themselves safe. This might look like declining new projects or avoiding opportunities to advance their career, resulting in career stagnation. Feeling judged can results in people feeling misunderstood and isolated, so they become even less likely to ask for help when they need it.

Unchecked judgmental attitudes can create a blame culture, where self-protection becomes more important to people than solving problems and working together. 

Ultimately, poor leadership judgment destroys trust. Lower trust can lead to increased staff burnout and turnover, not to mention damaging a leader’s personal reputation and the organisation’s reputation. 

A better way: Leading with non-judgment

Conscious leaders understand the automaticity behind judgments and the importance of bringing conscious awareness to judgment. It’s pretty much impossible to stop judgmental thoughts entirely. A more realistic aim is to develop the skill of noticing when these judgments arise and then gently and intentionally put them to one side.

Doing this shifts you into a mindset where you start to approach people, situations and problems with genuine curiosity and openness. Instead of jumping to judgment and asking “Who is to blame?”, you might ask “What can we learn from this?”. 

This shift in approach is foundational for creating psychological safety. This means people feel safer to engage in open dialogue. Your team feel good about learning from mistakes, seeking help when they need it, and taking well-judged risks that lead to new ideas and better outcomes.

How to practice non-judgment

It takes a bit of intention and practice to shift from judgment.

Here are a few ways to start:

Notice your judgments:

The first step is just to notice your automatic critical thoughts as they pop into your head. You don’t need to try to change them, or criticise yourself for having them.

Pause! 

When you notice a judgmental thought, pause before you speak or act on that thought. Taking one deep breath can create enough of a pause here. Pausing gives your brain time to formulate a more thoughtful and considered response.

Get curious

Exchange a judgment for an open question. For example, instead of thinking “That idea will never work,” try asking “Can you tell me more about your thinking on that?”

Look for facts

Our automatic judgments are often made with little to no objective evidence. Ask yourself, “What do I know to be objectively true in this situation?” Separate the facts from the story you might be telling yourself.

Non-judgment applies to you too 

Being non-judgmental is not reserved for other people. In fact, a great way to develop this skill is to start with how we view ourselves. For many people, we are our own harshest critic. If you are constantly judging and criticising yourself for every tiny mistake or perceived flaw, it’s even harder to offer genuine openness and understanding to your team.

The way we talk to ourselves (our internal monologue) often sets the tone for the way we think about and talk to other people (our external interactions). If you are critical to yourself when you make a mistake, you may be more likely to react with frustration when a team member make a mistake.

Conscious leadership involves applying the same principle of non-judgment to yourself. For you, that might mean noticing your mistakes with curiosity rather than blame. It may also require you to separate your actions from your sense of self-worth. When you can observe your own imperfections without harsh criticism, you’re building firm foundations on which you can extend that same grace to others.

The goal is good judgment, not no judgment

Let me clarify at this point that the aim of developing a non-judgmental attitude is not to completely stop making judgments. Instead, the emphasis is on shifting from snap, critical judgments to exercising sound, considered judgment.

Good judgment is a critical leadership skill that helps us make objectively better and more informed decisions. Actively demonstrating thoughtful judgment highlights leadership potential and opens doors to new opportunities.

When our purpose and values guide our judgment, the decisions we make become of a higher quality and more ethical. Taking a thoughtful approach builds stronger relationships because it is based on curiosity and fairness, as opposed to unconscious bias or a reactive emotional state.

Leading with non-judgment doesn’t negatively impact your ability to uphold high standards or to make tough decisions. It means you make those tough decisions from a place of clarity and curiosity, rather than from a place of automatic, critical reaction, which usually results in a better outcome.

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Dr Sarah Whyte is a keynote speaker, workshop facilitator, and coach.

Looking for a speaker to equip your leaders with proven strategies to perform at their peak without sacrificing their wellbeing? Let's connect.

Discover how the Conscious Leadership Advantage can improve your next event and assist your team to achieve sustainable success: sarah@drsarahwhyte.com