Use these strategies to hone your skills and become a more decisive leader.
Leaders face difficult decisions on a daily basis. How you handle the pressure, make the decision and address the situation can determine your company’s future. So how do you get better at making decisions? Here are some tips.
Tackle the ‘mundane’ decisions you’ve been putting off
As a leader you’re so busy focussing on the big picture, you tend to push the ‘smaller’ decisions to the backburner. In your quest for growth it’s possible you’ve been putting off other more mundane or ‘easy’ decisions. But it’s important to get back to these sooner rather than later. Even small decisions can have big implications somewhere down the line, whether it’s not renewing an employee’s contract, turning down a speaking opportunity, etc. Avoid postponing decisions however mundane they might seem; tackle them in a timely manner for better operational efficiency.
Train your second rung to make decisions on established policies
Often companies have well-established policies on a variety of topics, whether it’s customer service, budgets, hiring, etc. So help your second rung understand these policies well so that they can efficiently make these decisions without your intervention. Avoid micromanaging to such an extent that everyone consults you for all decisions, however big or small. By empowering them to make these decisions you’re increasing their profile and helping them grow. You are also ensuring that your time is spent on bigger decisions and issues.
Find ways to reframe the problem
When presented with a problem learn to reframe it from multiple perspectives. Take a step back and develop and explore different approaches to find the best possible solution. Encourage others to help ideate these different perspectives. This way you will uncover new ideas, obtain a more comprehensive picture of the situation and ensure you’re not focussing on just one approach or aspect. You’re developing a more holistic picture so as to enable better decision-making.
Admit and let go of earlier mistakes
It’s important to acknowledge your mistakes and correct the errors rather than making more decisions or choices that end up justifying the mistake. Recognise that it’s okay if a previous decision hasn’t worked out as well as it should have. People will respect you much more if you acknowledge the mistake and try to correct the situation rather than if you start to question your judgement and become indecisive. Acknowledge, correct, and move on.
Photograph: Creativeart – Freepik.com
