255: How Women Make Stronger, Smarter Choices, with Therese Huston

Therese Huston: How Women Decide

Therese Huston is looking to change the conversation about women as decision-makers. Her book, How Women Decide: What’s True, What’s Not, and What Strategies Spark the Best Choices*, debunks popular negative stereotypes about women as decision-makers. She is also the Founding Director for the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at Seattle University.

Key Points

• When a female leader makes a mistake in a job traditionally held by men, people are much more critical.

• When women are collaborative, they’re seen as less decisive.

• Don’t be fooled by someone’s confidence—it could just be a sign they don’t know all the facts.

• Use the Loopback strategy – think about your situation a year from now, and project what you wish you would have done differently.

Strategies to help women in the workplace:

1. Make sure nobody is interrupted when speaking in a meeting.

2. Take designated turns for speaking in meetings.

3. Make it clear that negotiations are expected when discussing salary, office setups, etc.

Resources Mentioned

Research: We Are Way Harder on Female Leaders Who Make Bad Calls • by Therese Huston

Thinking, Fast and Slow • * by Daniel Kahneman

Therese Huston’s website

Related Episodes

Personality Preferences and Decision-Making • (episode 46)

How to Tap Into Wisdom, with Barry Schwartz • (episode 92)

Start With Why, with Simon Sinek • (episode 223)

How to Tame Your Inner Critic, with Tara Mohr • (episode 232)

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