by Donald Finley

Created on: January 14, 2010

There is but one thing expected of leaders.  They need to make decisions.  This ability is a core requirement to be a leader.  It is a necessity that applies universally across the leadership spectrum, through small businesses, corporate giants, government and the military.  Why then are so many of our leaders so inept at it?

Nothing has irritated me more than those put in positions of authority and delegated decision-making rights who won't make decisions.  Most of the time, it's because they don't think they have enough information to make the right decision.  Other times, they are simply afraid to be held accountable and thereby avoid making decisions.  If their boss disagrees with them once, then they delay even more.  Don't get me wrong; it's important to make informed decisions, but when those decisions impact others, leaders need to accept their responsibilities, make the decisions that keep the mission and people moving forward, then stick by those decisions.  There should always be a willingness to reverse a decision when it's discovered to clearly be the wrong one, but that's rare.  Unfortunately, the willingness to admit a bad decision and correct it is even rarer. 

In the vast majority of instances, it takes a very short time to get 80% of the information needed to make a decision.  Some people spend an additional exponential time frame above that initial short time trying to get single-digit percentages of information above 80% in hopes of making the decision clearer and easier.  Rarely will those small percentages contradict the original 80% and change the decision, and almost never will they provide enough information to reach 100% certainty.  Responsibility carries risks, but with good people, risk is minimized.  But those good people need direction from the leader in the form of decisions.  If the leader hesitates, he or she loses credibility, trust and respect while the organization loses some degree of forward movement.  Refusal or delay in making a decision can totally paralyze an organization. 

There are simple rules about leadership that typically don’t need explanation.  They come with being a leader.  They should be understood. 

1.  Never hesitate to make what people believe to be a very easy, low risk choice.  You’ll never recover if you do.

2.  Only confer with stakeholders to gather information. 

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