“Not to decide is to decide.” – Harvey Cox
I talk to a lot of leaders who say that “being decisive” is a key trait of a leader. I’m not sure exactly what they mean by that. The dictionary says that the word decisive means “settling an issue” or “producing a definite result”, or “having or showing the ability to make decisions quickly and effectively”. Maybe they mean one of those things, but it’s hard to tell.
Too many leaders don’t actually do any of those things. Organizations have issues that go unresolved for years because the leader is uncomfortable dealing with it, or maybe doesn’t want to make anyone angry. Even issues that get resolved tend to fester for a long time. Leaders may end up making decisions effectively, but rarely do they make them quickly.
The point of this isn’t to say mean things about leaders. It’s to point out that, by the dictionary definition, being decisive is absolutely a key characteristic for leaders to have. It’s also to point out that while virtually everyone knows it’s important, it’s still a hard thing to find.
Look at yourself in the mirror. How do you make decisions? How do you go about dealing with opportunities or challenges that come up? Do you let them linger and hope that they take care of themselves? Be honest. A lot of organizations live in a fog of waiting and hoping.
Think about the one or two big opportunities or challenges that you’re dealing with right now. Are you actually dealing with them? Or are you stalling, or hoping somebody or something makes the decision for you? Too many leaders hesitate until virtually every option is gone except one, then they “choose” that option and announce that they made a decision.
Don’t allow others, or the rest of the world, to make decisions for you. Yes, some choices are difficult, and some issues are tough to deal with. Sometimes the decisions you make will turn out to be wrong. Sometimes people will be upset with the decisions you make.
Deal with it. If you can’t live with making the wrong decision, or you can’t handle people being upset, then don’t pretend you’re a leader. It comes with the territory. And just so you know, not making a decision is the wrong decision, and when you hesitate and don’t resolve key issues, people get upset with you for that, too.
Be decisive. Consider whatever facts and circumstances you need to consider, then charge ahead. Lead the way.
