Ep 181 – How to make hard decisions with Sarah Miller

 

Many leaders struggle with making tough decisions and dealing with their aftermath. In this episode Sarah Miller, CEO at leading global ethics consultancy Principia, shares how ethics can provide a set of resources and tools to use within decision-making, guiding how we lead as individuals from our own place of values, but probably more critically, how we engage with others who bring their own sets of values. 

 

In our conversation we discuss… 

• How to weigh different perspectives and ‘effectively deliberate’ 

• The ‘transparency and fairness tests’ you can apply to decisions 

• Creating safe spaces for difficult discussions after hard decisions 

• The concept of the ‘moral remainder’ and how it will help you navigate hard decisions and their aftermath 

• What we can learn from philosophy about leadership 

• How having a ‘challenger role’ could make your leadership team’s decisions better 

 

My name’s Carla Miller, leadership coach, author and trainer. And this is the Influence & Impact podcast for women leaders, helping you confidently navigate the ups and downs of leadership and feel less alone on your journey as a leader.  In fortnightly episodes I share practical tools and insights from myself and my brilliant guests that will help you succeed in your career. 

 

Other news: 

I’m taking a 3 month pause from the podcast and we will be back in June.  Do explore the back catalogue of 180 episodes if you are looking for some practical leadership inspiration and make sure you are signed up to my newsletter to be notified when the podcast starts again. 

 

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Influence & Impact: 

Join the May cohort of Influence & Impact to learn how to tackle self-doubt, increase your impact and become brilliant at influencing.  It’s a small cohort working closely with me and includes 6 workshops and 2 peer coaching sessions. 

 

About Sarah Miller: 

Sarah Miller is the Chief Executive at Principia, the leading global ethics consultancy.  She is a senior client partner and advisor with leading global companies on values-based leadership, culture and decision-making, primarily working across technology, financial services, energy, construction, professional services and non-profit sectors.  

Sarah has twenty years’ experience in global leadership roles in complex international settings, including significant strategy, governance, multicultural team management and operational oversight responsibilities.  An organizational development expert, much of her career has involved designing and facilitating change processes, focusing on the intersection of culture and conduct with systems and structures.  She is committed to bringing human centred design and systems thinking into her work with leaders, increasing awareness and equipping with the practical tools to build a more responsible, inclusive business environment.  

Sarah's areas of expertise include good governance, ethical decision making, diversity and inclusion and speak-up.  She brings deep knowledge and experience with sustainability, DEI, business and human rights and key drivers of poverty and inequality, and has led socially and environmentally responsible initiatives in more than 30 countries. 

 

Sarah holds an M.S. in International Affairs and has spent most of her career working extensively across the Americas, Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. She began her career working on immigration, refugee resettlement, mental health and housing and homelessness issues in the United States, and continues to be actively engaged in these issues as a Board member. She is now based in Edinburgh, U.K. with her husband and two daughters. 

 

Principa’s website: www.principia-advisory.com