The Secrets to Making Great Decision as a Leader

How to Make Great Decisions as a Leader

Decisions are one thing in this universe that can determine and create totally opposite futures depending how they are called. The right decision can vault you towards your goals and lock your bearing down towards what you want to achieve, while a bad decision can take everything you hold dear and then drop you to the bottom. So the question is how do we make the best decision possible while taking into account all the variables involved?

The Source of Indecision, FEAR

There are many elements that go into a well-chosen decision such as timing, manner, counsel and the list goes on and on. Without the right perspective a leader may become overwhelmed and fall into the greatest decision killer of them all, Fear. An indecisive leader is an oxymoron; there is not such thing as a passive leader. Leaders must make decisions!

            Decision-making not only affects you, but every single person around you, and can continue far into the future. That is why it is so important to use your assets wisely and make the right decision the first time.

Why Loyalty is Imperative For a Leader

Making a decision as a leader should not be a lonely process; you should seek counsel from many around you. “One of us is never smarter than all of us.” Now after you have talked it over with your peers and those who work closest to the pulse of the problem, take the appropriate amount of time then “Make The Call.” Even if it 180 degrees from what has been suggested from everyone else, if you truly believe that is the right decision, Make The Call!

            This is where as a good leader you have a tool in your pouch so to speak, and it is called loyalty. If you have done your job as a good leader, a good “ServantLeader,” you will have developed loyalty between you and those you lead. This loyalty allows your team to know without a doubt you have the best interest for them and the mission. Loyalty means you expect your team to tell you exactly how they feel about a situation with true honesty, but after everything has been said and a decision is made, Loyalty means everyone walks out of the room and embraces that decision made like it was their own.

Decision Making Steps

1.     Take time proportionate to the outcome of the decision

        As Dave Ramsey would say, do not spend an hour at the checkout trying to decide which pack of gum you want to purchase, make the decision and move on! Now in the other hand, if you are deciding on something that will effect your next 5 years you will want to take a lot more time to come to a conclusion. A good rule of thumb is looking at your risk profile per the decision and gauging when it will increase, this will give you a good idea when a decision must be made.

2.     Get Good Input From Your Team

        Bring in the best to talk about the decision, both Pro’s and Con’s. This is the point where you as a leader need to step up and ask good questions. The goal is to encourage good debate among your teams. The better the disagreement and debate the more information you get on the subject and a better understanding.

3.     Find some quite space

        Now that you have had plenty of time and lots of great input on the decision, it is time to break away to find somewhere you can truly be alone with your thoughts. This will allow you to really take in everything you have learned on the subject and make a good call on the decision. This is a very important step. Many great leaders find an activity to do, one that allows them solitude but keeps their hands busy, this allows their subconscious to really go into overdrive and for them to make a great decision.

4.     Defeat Indecision and procrastination.

        Leaders may get stuck in analysis paralysis, at this point after you have weighed all the inputs and spent the necessary time thinking about the decision, put a day on the calendar down to the hour, this will signify the moment you must make the call. When that day and hour arrive do not push it back but stick to your choice and pull the trigger!

“See You At The Top”

Tom McConnell

Owner Mental Giants Nutrition

TomMcConnell@mentalgiantsnutrition.com

As always a video by Eddie Pinero. Check out his website YourWorldWithin, you won't be disappointed.

Servant Leadership is Strong Leadership

Proper leadership requires power, but positional power should not be used often and for good reason, if a leader must rely on positional power alone the organization can soon expect decreased output and possibly notice troubles arise in the future. So the question remains what type of leadership is best? I believe the answer to that is servant leadership which in my opinion is by far the most effective form of leadership out there, that is if your goal is to have an organization with a rich culture full of members that want to excel.

Does Servant Leadership Mean a Weak Leader? NO!

Many may hear the term “Servant Leadership” and get confused and picture a leader who is not strong, but the word they are actually thinking of is subservient leader, and is not what I am referring to. A Servant Leader is by no means a doormat.

             Now the meaning of Servant Leadership stands for a leader who cares about their team so much they want to serve them and do everything possible so that they may succeed. This is not just a supportive role, but also a teaching and disciplinary role as well. The leader does what they need to do for the best interest of their members no matter how hard that may be.

Common leadership misconceptions 

Myth - You must be socially disconnected from your team so they will respect you.

Truth – If you’re the type of leader who hides away in his office and knows very

little about the team you lead you may get compliance but will never have a team that wants to do more than the status quo or minimal expectations for you.

Myth – Young employees need strict micromanaging leadership to keep them inline.

Truth - If you are the type of leader that embraces servant leadership even young

employees will form a bond with you and will want to do great work; all they need is guidance and expectations for them to achieve that. For instance at Chick-Fil-A they manage hundreds of teenage workers all of which are extremely well mannered, polite, and do an excellent job, compare that to other fast food restaurants you frequent, that is a testament of servant leadership and what it can accomplish.

Myth – Employees need constant over watch and managing to stay on track and

mission.

Truth – This causes huge a bottleneck for any organization, your job as a leader is to

set goals and explain the culture and principals the organization stands for as

a guiding light. From their it is important to allow your members to make

decisions and become more and more self reliant. If you continue to be a micromanaging boss you will find your days full of office drive-bys consisted of questions and scenarios your team is more than capable of fixing but wont.

Great Leader Know Their People Matter

Our brain is an amazing machine, capable of much more than we will ever realize. It can help or hurt us depending on how we use it. One thing our brains do great is creating small programs to run tasks we do daily, this can be to our benefit but also lead us to our downfall let me explain.

            The first time you ever drove a car it was likely nerve racking, and nothing like jumping in the car for a drive today. You had to worry about checking your surroundings, checking your mirrors, putting the key in the ignition, changing gears, pushing the gas being ready to press the break… and the list goes on and on. So the question is why is driving a vehicle today so easy? Well your brain actually created a program called a TOTE, “Test Operate Test Exit” which in short puts your brain on autopilot and allows you to focus on something else.

            As a leader a TOTE can be a huge hindrance, when you start categorizing talking to your tribe under a single TOTE you take the authentic interaction between you and your people out. So you need to concentrate on each interaction and focus on staying “in the moment” and not allow yourself to go on autopilot, especially when meeting and communicating with the workers that will make or break your company.

Question
Who was one of your best leaders in your life, what leadership type did they use?

“See You At The Top”

Tom McConnell

Owner Mental Giants Nutrition

TomMcConnell@mentalgiantsnutrition.com

As always a video by Eddie Pinero. Check out his website YourWorldWithin, you won't be disappointed.

-Remember to take care of others you must first take care of yourself, before you can become someone else's hero you must first become your own. Be your own Hero!