Decisions
Sources of Power: 6 key ideas
The core ideas of Sources of Power, each in under a minute, written in our own words. Want the full depth? Get the book.
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- IDEA 1 OF 6
Recognition-primed decisions
Experienced firefighters and pilots rarely compare options.
They recognise the situation, pick a plausible action and test it mentally.
- IDEA 2 OF 6
Mental simulation
Experts imagine how a plan will play out to spot problems before acting.
- IDEA 3 OF 6
Expertise is pattern recognition
Years of experience let people notice cues and anomalies others miss.
- IDEA 4 OF 6
Stories transfer experience
Sharing incidents helps others build patterns faster than rules alone.
- IDEA 5 OF 6
Find leverage points
Look for small actions that have big impact.
- IDEA 6 OF 6
Train realistically
Practise in conditions that resemble the real world, with time pressure and ambiguity.
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