Command in the storm: RNLI leadership at sea (B): The role of intuition in decision-making
This case explores decision-making under uncertainty in high-stakes environments through the experience of David Branigan, an experienced coxswain with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). Faced with a drifting trawler (Argonaut) in worsening conditions, Branigan must decide whether to attempt a risky tow against the limitations of standard protocols and concern for the safety of his own boat and crew, based on his intuitive assessment that delaying action could result in the casualty-vessel running aground.
The case is designed to provoke discussion around the reliability of expert intuition, the tension between data-driven checklists and gut feeling, and how organizations can foster or constrain intuitive leadership.
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Description
This case explores decision-making under uncertainty in high-stakes environments through the experience of David Branigan, an experienced coxswain with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). Faced with a drifting trawler (Argonaut) in worsening conditions, Branigan must decide whether to attempt a risky tow against the limitations of standard protocols and concern for the safety of his own boat and crew, based on his intuitive assessment that delaying action could result in the casualty-vessel running aground.
The case is designed to provoke discussion around the reliability of expert intuition, the tension between data-driven checklists and gut feeling, and how organizations can foster or constrain intuitive leadership.
Learning Objective
- Understand how intuition operates in dynamic, high-pressure decision contexts.
- Identify the conditions under which intuition can be a trustworthy guide.
- Evaluate the interplay between protocol, data, and experience-based judgment.
- Analyze team dynamics when a leader's intuition diverges from standard operating procedures.
- Explore how organizations can train and institutionalize effective intuitive decision-making.
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"Command in the storm: RNLI leadership at sea (B): The role of intuition in decision-making"
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