Towards an understanding of discernment: a conceptual paper

The purpose of this paper is to define the concept of “discernment”.

The paper defines and presents discernment in a manner that sheds light on the construct and sets the stage for future research.

Discernment, is a significantly more involving kind of approach to decision making for the leader. It does not rely on precedents, best practices, or benchmarking. It is to understand the self and organization in a holistic way, inviting constant self‐evaluation and adjustments in order to make good judgments that serve the greater whole.

Additional research is needed to empirically validate the concept through systematic investigations and devise a means to measure it.

The paper assists leaders in understanding the “what” and “why” of discernment and provides an opportunity for self‐evaluation by leaders as to how well each leader engages in discernment.

The paper is original and makes the foundational contribution for a beginning stream of research.