Leadership Tip: Make the Right Choice!

Be a Levelheaded Leader

Paper or plastic? Buy or sell? White or whole-wheat? Go or No Go? Tall, Grande, or Venti? So many choices! Some are little; some are huge. How do you decide?

As a leader you need to make good decisions quickly. This is a critical component of cultivating trust in others. Yes, you've got to trust yourself and demonstrate a genuine concern for others, but if you don't add the ability to create solutions and make sound decisions in a timely manner, no one will follow you.

So how do leaders increase the quality and speed of their thinking so they can make the right choice at the right time? They develop a deliberate decision making process. Try adding these nuggets to your process.

1. Be on time. There is a right time to make every decision. Some leaders decide too quickly; others wait too long. If you miss that window of opportunity, you miss the chance to create your desired outcomes.

2. Know what you know—and what you don't! List your facts and assumptions; then determine if you have enough facts to make a decision. If you don't, what's missing? What questions do you need answered? Which assumptions do you need verified?

3. Cover all the bases. Research shows our brains can process information in four ways (factually, emotionally, structurally, and holistically), but often people only look at a problem from one or two of these perspectives. Deliberately think about the issue from all four points of view.

Making timely, informed, and integrated decisions is key to creating innovative, high-impact solutions. Do that consistently while caring passionately for others and you'll watch your leadership rise to another level.

Choose wisely,
Geoff



[ This tip originally appeared in Graceworks News. Sign up here for the newsletter. ]