This is how successful leaders tackle tough decisions

Tuesday November 07, 2017 , 3 min Read

As the Oracle says to Neo in Matrix Revolutions, ''you have already made the choice now you have to understand why you made it''. If it is so, then how well do we understand our choices or the decisions we are about to make? As a leader the choices you make impact a large set of people. There is more to decision making than meets the eye.

So how do leaders in the industry take their decisions and make their choice?

Image : Shutterstock

Keep a cool head

When you are calm, you are your best friend. When you aren’t, you can be your worst enemy. Impulsive or on the spur of the moment decisions taken in anger don't do anyone any good.

A truly successful leader is one who has trained himself or herself in the culture of patience. More importantly, they have understood that true patience is not a sign of weakness or laziness but of virtue and responsibility. Calmness allows you to see things in the light of reason and logic, and avoid confusion, misinterpretations and reckless competition.

Before the solution, figure out the cause

The need of the hour is to go deeper and figure out the causes that created problems in the first place. A true leader is not an all-knowing, all-mighty entity. He or she is simply purposefully curious. They like to know the why of things and encourage others to do the same. By discovering causes and then offering solutions, they ensure themselves problem-free work.

Don't delay important conversations

According to Brent Gleeson, ''Whether it's your business partner, or a direct report or even your manager, it doesn't do any good to put off much-needed conversations. It just makes the situation worse." Open-ended and free-flowing conversation can help a company sustain its progress, while the lack of it can cause chaos. A true leader is not the one to delay conversations – whether it is with their employees, their partner or client.

Hone those instincts

According to Simon Berg, ''I have achieved success throughout my life by trusting my intuition.”

Intuition is an internal voice of reason in times of distress or complexities. True leaders nurture internal balance. They understand that in order to be truly successful they must hone and develop both intellect and intuition. As a result, they hold sway over their thoughts and emotions and never get carried away when dealing with the crisis.

Life is a series of choices that most people make unconsciously or in a state of sleep-wakefulness. In the aftermath of bad decisions, most people relent to finger pointing and shifting the blame. True leaders, however, are conscious of their choices. They do not walk through life blindfolded. This helps them ‘see’ things as they are while avoiding places of confusion and unrest.