Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Leaders: Make a Decision

Leaders are responsible for decisions. They are entrusted to make them and are expected to back them up. Unfortunately, many leaders are too hesitant to make decisions. They become overly concerned with the unknowns and the “what ifs” and end up missing key opportunities or losing the public’s confidence. Some of the real consequences to lack luster decision making are: lost revenue, reduced productivity, reduced growth and follower distrust. While opportunities come and go, regaining confidence once lost is a much more difficult process.
Some reasons I have noted that leaders fail to be decisive is their concern for the consequences. Often they feel that if they just had more information or that perhaps once a decision has been made there is no going back. These can be noteworthy concerns, but they should not paralyze the decision making process. The reality is that in a dynamic ever changing world it is impossible to know and calculate all contributing factors. So, good leaders note the risks and then execute measures within their control to mitigate those risks, but they move forward. And by moving forward they create success and seize opportunities.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

possibly the worst "leader" ever

Anonymous said...

Ammon

Certainly leaders must be decisive. This is a core aspect of leadership effectiveness. In my blog I have written about this concept and have refelected on how a leader can gain an ability to be decisive. In my estimation it comes down to conviction and confidence. A leader needs clarity on the direction they will take their team that comes from understanding the mission and their own values. They also need the confidence that comes from hard won experience and self efficacy.