“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
― Robert Frost
Choices are very important in leadership. Making the wrong choice costs money and potentially damages the organization. The burden is on the leader for making effective and wise choices.
Not making a decision is a choice. Sometimes, paralyzed by the gravity of the choice, leaders stall and can’t decide. Not making a choice is certainly a choice.
What’s the impact of the decision on the organization?
What’s the impact of the decision on relationships?
What’s the impact of the decision on revenue…customer satisfaction…client engagement…stakeholder involvement…?
Asking these questions before making a decision helps leaders recognize the consequences of the decision.
Maybe asking those questions before not making a choice would be good, as well.
Making wise, informed choices is the duty and delight of the leader. Making poor choices can cost a lot more and, certainly, waiting to make a decision increases the cost or impact of the problem to the culture or to profit as the situation gets worse.
The most difficult of choices typically centers on people issues, such as when to terminate the employee, when to give a salary increase, when to correct their behavior, when to challenge a nonparticipating board member, etc. Each of these scenarios causes leaders to shy away from confronting controversial issues.
Pay the upfront cost and deal with the situation as soon as practical. That might be before you get the chance to confront someone on an issue. Waiting only complicates things and provides an opportunity for the conflict, if that’s the issue, to get worse. A small matter becomes nuclear over time.
Delegate action items so you can free up your schedule and your mind to think effectively about complex leadership decisions.
To decide or not…that’s the question.
OS 83: Bread for the Journey, pt 5 - Physical
OS 82: Bread for the Journey, pt 4 - Relational
OS 81: Bread for the Journey, pt 3 - Wholeness
OS 80: Bread for the Journey, pt 2 - Spiritual
OS 79: Bread for the Journey of Personal Care
OS 78: Interview with Dave Anderson, The Business Bully
OS 77: Interview with Tom Poland on Getting the Correct Marketing Message
OS 76: Leadership Skills, Words Are Power
OS 75: Amazing Workplace with Linda Ruhland
OS 74: The Art of Significance with Dan Clark
OS 73: A Culture is a Reflection of the Leader, Pt 4
OS 72: A Culture is a Reflection of the Leader, Pt 3
OS 71: A Culture is a Reflection of the Leader, Pt2
OS 70: A Culture is a Reflection of the Leader
OS 69: Leadership IS Influence
OS 67: Leadership Perspective: Reverse Paradigms, Compromise vs Consensus
OS 66: Interview with Sandy Papavero
OS 65: The Upfront Cost of Leadership to Create Long-Term Value
OS 64: Do The Right Thing with David Duryea
OS 63: Are You Taking Care of Yourself?
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The emPOWERed Half Hour
HCI Leadership Revolution
Human Capital Leadership
The Power of Music Thinking
BusinessWISE
The Home Service Expert Podcast