Tag Making Decisions

How to Evaluate Yourself as a Leader: A Practical Guide to Self-Assessment

Steve Keating Leave a comment

Leadership is a never-ending journey of growth. It requires self-awareness, adaptability, and a commitment to continuous improvement. That’s why evaluating yourself as a leader is so crucial to your long-term success. Self-evaluation is a powerful way to identify your strengths, uncover areas for development, and ensure you’re effectively guiding your team toward success. In this post, we’ll look at practical steps to assess your leadership skills, reflect on your impact, and set a course for growth.

Why Self-Evaluation Matters for Leaders

Self-evaluation is more than just a personal check-in; it’s a proactive step to align your actions with your values and goals. By regularly assessing your leadership, you can:

• Gain Clarity: Understand how your behaviors and decisions impact your team.

• Build Trust: Demonstrate accountability by recognizing and addressing your weaknesses.

• Drive Growth: Identify opportunities to enhance your skills and leadership style.

• Inspire Others: Model self-reflection, encouraging your team to grow alongside you.

Let’s dive into a step-by-step guide to evaluating yourself as a leader.

Step 1: Define Your Leadership Values and Goals

Before you can evaluate your performance, you need a clear benchmark. Start by reflecting on your core leadership values and goals:

• What kind of leader do you want to be? Are you aiming to be collaborative, decisive, empathetic, or innovative? Perhaps all of the above? Write down 3-5 core values that define your leadership philosophy.

• What are your goals? Consider both short-term objectives (e.g., improving team communication) and long-term aspirations (e.g., fostering a culture of innovation).

• How do these align with your organization’s mission? Ensure your personal leadership goals support the broader vision of your team or company.

Action Tip: Create a “Leadership Mission Statement” that encapsulates your values and goals. For example: “I strive to lead with empathy and clarity, empowering my team to achieve excellence while fostering a culture of trust and collaboration.” Post your mission statement where others can see it. That will help create accountability and build a bridge to step 2.

Step 2: Seek Feedback from Others

Self-evaluation is incomplete without external perspectives. Others can provide insights into how your leadership is perceived and its impact on the team. Here’s how to gather meaningful feedback:

• Ask for 360-degree feedback: Collect input from peers, direct reports, and supervisors. Use anonymous surveys or one-on-one conversations to encourage honesty.

• Ask specific questions: Instead of vague prompts like “How am I doing?”, ask targeted questions such as:

• “What’s one thing I do well as a leader?”

• “What’s one area where I could improve my support for the team?”

• Listen without defensiveness: Approach feedback with an open mind, focusing on growth rather than justification.

Action Tip: Use a tool like Google Forms or a platform like SurveyMonkey to create a simple, anonymous feedback survey. Schedule follow-up discussions with your team to clarify feedback and show your commitment to acting on it.

Step 3: Assess Your Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

I’m really close to saying that EQ is even more important for a leader than IQ. That’s because emotional intelligence is a cornerstone of effective leadership. It involves self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, and relationship management. To evaluate your EQ:

• Self-Awareness: Reflect on how well you understand your emotions and their impact on your decisions. Do you recognize when stress or frustration affects your leadership?

• Self-Regulation: Consider how you handle challenges. Do you stay calm under pressure, or do you react impulsively?

• Empathy: Ask yourself how well you understand and respond to your team’s needs. Do you actively listen and show genuine care for their perspectives?

• Relationship Management: Evaluate your ability to build trust, resolve conflicts, and inspire collaboration.

Action Tip: Take an online EQ assessment, such as the Emotional Intelligence Appraisal by TalentSmart, or journal about a recent leadership challenge to analyze how your emotions influenced your actions.

Step 4: Review Your Decision-Making and Results

Leadership is often judged by outcomes. Evaluate your decision-making process and the results of your leadership:

• Decision-Making Process: Are your decisions informed, inclusive, and aligned with your values? Do you seek different perspectives before acting?

• Impact on Team Performance: Look at measurable outcomes, such as team productivity, morale, or project success. Have your actions led to positive results?

• Adaptability: Reflect on how you handle change or uncertainty. Do you pivot effectively when faced with challenges?

Action Tip: Review a recent project or initiative you led. Write down what went well, what didn’t, and one decision you would approach differently next time. Use this to identify patterns in your leadership style.

Step 5: Evaluate Your Communication Skills

Effective communication is critical for leadership success. Assess how well you convey ideas, listen, and encourage open dialogue.

• Clarity: Do you articulate goals and expectations clearly? Are your instructions easy to understand?

• Active Listening: Do you genuinely listen to your team’s ideas and concerns, or do you dominate conversations?

• Feedback Delivery: Are you constructive and specific when providing feedback? Do you balance praise with areas for improvement?

Action Tip: Record a team meeting (with permission) or ask a trusted colleague to observe your communication style. Note areas where you excel or could improve, such as body language or tone.

Step 6: Reflect on Your Team’s Growth and Engagement

A leader’s success is tied to their team’s growth and motivation. Evaluate how you are fostering a positive and productive environment:

• Team Development: Are you providing opportunities for your team to learn and grow? Do you delegate effectively to build their skills?

• Engagement: Are team members motivated and committed? Do they feel valued and empowered?

• Culture: What kind of culture are you creating? Is it inclusive, collaborative, and aligned with your values?

Action Tip: Conduct a “stay interview” with team members to understand what keeps them engaged and what could improve their experience. Use their insights to assess your impact as a leader.

Step 7: Set Goals for Improvement

Self-evaluation is only effective if it leads to action. Based on your reflections and feedback, identify 1-3 areas for improvement and create a plan:

• Be Specific: Instead of “I’ll be a better communicator,” aim for “I’ll practice active listening by summarizing team members’ points in meetings.”

• Set Measurable Goals: For example, “I will implement monthly one-on-one check-ins with my team to improve engagement.”

• Seek Resources: Consider leadership training, books (e.g., The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni), or a mentor to support your growth.

Action Tip: Create a 30-60-90-day plan outlining specific actions you will take to improve. Review your progress regularly to stay accountable.

Step 8: Make Self-Evaluation a Habit

Leadership evaluation isn’t a one-time task—it’s an ongoing practice. Build self-reflection into your routine:

• Daily Reflection: Spend 5 minutes at the end of each day journaling about a leadership moment—what went well and what could be better.

• Monthly Check-Ins: Revisit your leadership mission statement and goals to ensure you’re on track.

• Annual Deep Dive: Conduct a comprehensive self-assessment, including 360-degree feedback, to measure your growth over time.

Action Tip: Use a journal or app like Evernote to track your reflections and progress. Set calendar reminders for monthly and annual check-ins.

Final Thoughts

Evaluating yourself as a leader requires honesty, humility, and a commitment to growth. By defining your values, seeking feedback, assessing your emotional intelligence, and reflecting on your impact, you can gain a clear picture of your strengths and areas for improvement.

The goal isn’t perfection but progress—each step you take toward becoming a better leader inspires your team and drives meaningful results. As you become a more effective leader, your team becomes more effective as well. And never forget, not even for a moment, that your leadership is not about you; it’s ALL about the people you lead.

So, take the first step today: carve out 15 minutes to reflect on one aspect of your leadership, such as how you handled a recent challenge. Then, commit to one small action to improve. Your team—and your future self—will thank you for it.

One-Time
Monthly
Yearly

Consider supporting my efforts with a gift!

Hey everyone, I’m passionate about sharing insights on life and leadership through my blog. If you’ve found value in my posts and wish to see more content like this, please consider making a donation. Every little bit helps in continuing to provide quality guidance and inspiration.

But whether you can offer support or not, I’ll continue to try and write a blog that gives back, informs and sometimes even entertains. I hope you enjoy it!

Thanks for your support!

Make a monthly donation

Make a yearly donation

Choose an amount

$5.00
$15.00
$100.00
$5.00
$15.00
$100.00
$5.00
$15.00
$100.00

Or enter a custom amount

$

Your support is greatly appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearly

How to Take Control of Your Life

Steve Keating Leave a comment

It’s easy to get stuck in the floaty trap. You know the one, the one that feels like you’re just floating along, letting life happen to you instead of making things happen yourself.

It can be a pretty comfortable feeling until it’s not. Eventually, we get frustrated with floating because, while it feels pretty good, we have little to no control over where we end up.

When we “float” we are subject to the whims of other people and circumstances that we’ve chosen to not control. Floating is a pretty common feeling, and it is easy to stay there way longer than you should. But floating does not have to be a permanent condition.

YOU can take control of your life!

Taking control of your life is about making a conscious decision to be the driver, not the passenger in your life’s journey. It’s about being intentional with your choices and actions, big and small.

Here’s how to start taking control of your life.

Define What “Control” Means to You

First, you need to understand what taking control looks like for you personally. It’s absolutely not the same for everyone. When you get married, for instance, you are willingly and lovingly giving up at least some control to your partner.

So for you, is control about your career? Your health? Your relationships? Your finances? It’s likely a combination of these things and maybe more, but identifying the key areas that feel out of whack is the first step. Grab a notebook, iPad, or whatever, and jot down the parts of your life that feel most chaotic or uncontrolled. This isn’t about judgment; it’s about clarity.

Set Intentional Goals

Once you’ve identified the areas you want to work on, it’s time to set some goals. These shouldn’t be vague wishes. A good goal is SMART:

• Specific: What exactly do you want to achieve?

• Measurable: How will you track your progress?

• Achievable: Is this goal realistic for you right now?

• Relevant: Does this goal align with your values and what you want for your life?

• Time-bound: When do you want to achieve this by?

For example, instead of “I want to get healthy,” try “I will walk for 30 minutes three times a week for the next month.”

Embrace Small Actions

The idea of “taking control” can feel overwhelming. The key is to start small. A big change is just a series of small, consistent actions. If your goal is to save more money, start by packing your lunch once a week instead of buying it. If you want to learn a new skill, commit to 15 minutes of practice a day. These small wins build momentum and confidence, proving to yourself that you are capable of making a change.

Practice Self-Awareness

One of the most powerful tools for taking control is self-awareness. It’s about understanding your habits, triggers, and emotions. Why do you procrastinate? What makes you feel stressed? What are you truly passionate about? The more you understand yourself, the better you can navigate your life’s challenges. Journaling, meditation, or simply taking a few minutes each day to reflect can help you develop this awareness.

Take Responsibility (Without Blame)

This is a tough one, but it’s essential. Taking control means taking responsibility for your choices, ALL your choices, and their outcomes. This is not about blaming yourself for past mistakes. Instead, it’s about acknowledging your role in your current situation. For example, if you’re not happy with your job, instead of blaming your boss or the company, ask yourself, “What can I do to change this situation?” Maybe it’s updating your resume, networking, or taking a course to learn new skills. This shift in perspective is incredibly empowering.

Taking control of your life isn’t a one-time event; it’s a continuous practice. It’s about being proactive, not reactive. By defining your goals, starting with small actions, practicing self-awareness, and taking responsibility, you can begin to steer your life in the direction you want to go.

Things still will not always go your way, but YOU have the power to change directions as many times as are required to put yourself exactly where you want to be. Now that’s control!

So, where will you start?

One-Time
Monthly
Yearly

Consider supporting my efforts with a gift!

Hey everyone, I’m passionate about sharing insights on life and leadership through my blog. If you’ve found value in my posts and wish to see more content like this, please consider making a donation. Every little bit helps in continuing to provide quality guidance and inspiration.

But whether you can offer support or not, I’ll continue to try and write a blog that gives back, informs and sometimes even entertains. I hope you enjoy it!

Thanks for your support!

Make a monthly donation

Make a yearly donation

Choose an amount

$5.00
$15.00
$100.00
$5.00
$15.00
$100.00
$5.00
$15.00
$100.00

Or enter a custom amount

$

Your support is greatly appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearly

How to Make Pressure-Packed Decisions

Steve Keating Leave a comment

When faced with a particularly difficult decision, many people, perhaps even most people, decide not to decide. What they don’t understand is that it IS a decision, it is a decision to do nothing, to maintain the status quo, and to “just see what happens.”

It is surrendering control over their circumstances. It is hoping for the best rather than strategizing and planning to give “the best” a better chance of actually happening.

But deciding can be hard, especially when you’re making major life, career, or business decisions. It gets even harder when, for whatever reason, you have a limited amount of time to make the decision. The pressure, at times, can be overwhelming.

But decisions must be made nonetheless. The good news is that YOU can make them!

While making tough decisions under pressure can be challenging, having a pre-planned structured approach to decision-making helps ensure better outcomes. Here’s a step-by-step process you may want to consider using when faced with a pressure-packed decision.

1. Stay Calm and Centered

Take a moment to pause and breathe. Stress can cloud judgment, so centering yourself helps you think more clearly.

If time permits, step away from the immediate pressure to gain perspective. Even a 30- minute break can make a big difference.

2. Clarify the Goal

Identify what outcome you want to achieve. If you don’t have an identifiable outcome, then back up and figure out where you want to go, before you pick a path to get there.

Ask yourself: What is the ultimate objective? What problem am I solving?

3. Prioritize the Key Factors

Focus on what matters most in the decision. Great decision-makers know that while details matter, not all details are created equal.

Consider factors such as time sensitivity, risks, long-term impacts, and alignment with your values or goals.

4. Gather Critical Information

Seek out the most essential information available within the time constraints.

Avoid analysis paralysis by focusing on what is necessary, not every detail.

5. Weigh the Options

List the possible choices and their potential outcomes.

Use a pros and cons list or a simple ranking system to evaluate each option objectively.

6. Trust Your Instincts and Experience

Under pressure, you may not have time to deliberate for long. Trust your instincts, especially if you’ve faced similar situations before.

Leverage past experiences and lessons to guide your decisions.

7. Consider the Worst-Case Scenario

Ask yourself: What’s the worst that can happen? Can I live with it?

If the consequences are manageable, it can reduce anxiety about making the wrong choice. Remember that it is frequently easier to “fix” a wrong decision than it is to fix a no decision. So decide.

8. Seek Input if Possible

If time allows, consult someone you trust for a second opinion. They might offer a perspective you haven’t considered.

In high-pressure moments, a quick discussion can provide clarity.

9. Make the Decision and Commit

Once you’ve weighed your options, make a choice and commit to it. If you do not act on the decision, then in all likelihood, you haven’t actually made a decision.

Indecision wastes time and creates more stress. Trust that you have done your best with the information available.

10. Reflect and Adjust if Needed

After the decision, assess its impact and be prepared to make adjustments if necessary.

Learn from the experience to improve your decision-making process in the future.

Mindset Tips for Decision-Making Under Pressure:

Embrace Imperfection: No decision is perfect. Focus on making the best decision given the circumstances. Remember, sometimes you make the right decisions and sometimes you’ll need to make the decision right.

Stay Positive: Confidence in your ability to handle challenges builds resilience in tough situations.

Focus on Action: Avoid overthinking and shift quickly into action once the decision is made.

Your life is made from choices and decisions. If you’re not making decisions regarding YOUR life, sometimes big and pressure-packed decisions, then someone else is making them for you. That is not the way to live your best life possible.

So decide today that you’ll be the one making YOUR life decisions, no matter how challenging they may be.

One-Time
Monthly
Yearly

Consider supporting my efforts with a donation!
I put a significant amount of time and effort into writing a couple of blog posts each week. My primary goal is simple, to help other people. That doesn’t mean a little financial support isn’t appreciated. If you’ve benefited from my efforts and think my posts are valuable, I’d certainly appreciate whatever support you might be able to offer.
But whether you can offer support or not, I’ll continue to try and write a blog that gives back, informs and sometimes even entertains. I hope you enjoy it!

Make a monthly donation

Make a yearly donation

Choose an amount

$5.00
$15.00
$100.00
$5.00
$15.00
$100.00
$5.00
$15.00
$100.00

Or enter a custom amount

$

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearly

Living According to Your Core Values

Steve Keating Leave a comment

Many people struggle with setting meaningful goals for their life. Many of those same people find it difficult to make decisions, especially big, life altering decisions. A good number of those same people have relationship issues throughout their lives. They can’t quite seem to find their “match.”

All of those challenges have one underlying cause. That cause is Core Values.

Just to be clear, it is not a lack of Core Values. It is a lack of understanding exactly what their Core Values are. I believe everyone has Core Values, those values that are life defining. Values that are worth fighting for. Even values that are worth dying for.

But through the years I’ve come to realize that most people, perhaps even the vast majority of people, have invested scant time thinking and reflecting on what their Core Values actually are. Those Core Values are buried deep within them but not so deep that they don’t impact their thinking. Their ever present Core Values inform their thinking but they do so subconsciously.

When people know and understand their Core Values they bring them to the surface. Once surfaced their Core Values help them make better and bigger decisions. They inform them as to what goals truly matter long term. Their Core Values help them find and keep a person who will be their partner for the rest of their lives.

Core Values are a very big deal. They are an even bigger deal once you’ve determined your Core Values and decide to consciously live your life accordingly.

Determining your Core Values involves reflecting on what matters most to you in life. Start by considering experiences, beliefs, and principles that have consistently guided your decisions and actions. Ask yourself probing questions about what brings you fulfillment, what you stand for, and what you couldn’t live without. Write down a list of potential values, then narrow it down to the ones that resonate with you the most deeply. Your Core Values should reflect your authentic self and serve as a compass for making choices aligned with your true priorities.

Core Values vary from person to person, but some common examples include:

1. Integrity: Being honest, trustworthy, and acting with moral principles.

2. Respect: Treating others with dignity, empathy, and understanding.

3. Responsibility: Taking ownership of one’s actions and obligations.

4. Excellence: Striving for the highest quality and continuous improvement.

5. Compassion: Showing kindness, empathy, and care towards others.

6. Courage: Facing challenges with bravery and perseverance.

7. Equality: Believing in fairness and justice for all individuals.

8. Gratitude: Appreciating the blessings and expressing thankfulness.

9. Authenticity: Being true to oneself and living with transparency.

10. Collaboration: Working together and valuing teamwork and cooperation.

These are just a few examples, and individuals may prioritize different values based on their personal experiences, beliefs, and aspirations.

Actually living according to your Core Values involves aligning your actions, decisions, and behaviors with the principles that matter most to you. Here’s how you can do it.

Identify your core values. Reflect on what truly matters to you and define your core values. Write them down to have a clear understanding of what they are.

Integrate values into decision-making. When faced with choices or dilemmas, consider how each option aligns with your core values. Choose the path that resonates with your principles, even if it’s challenging.

Set goals aligned with your values. Define short-term and long-term goals that reflect your core values. This ensures that your actions are directed towards what you find meaningful and fulfilling.

Practice self-awareness. Regularly evaluate your thoughts, feelings, and actions to ensure they are consistent with your values. Adjust your behavior if you notice any discrepancies.

Communicate your values. Be open about your core values with others, including friends, family, and colleagues. This helps create authentic connections and fosters mutual understanding.

Stay true to yourself. Resist the temptation to compromise your values for external approval or short-term gains. Stand firm in your beliefs, even in the face of adversity.

Learn and grow. Continuously seek opportunities for personal growth and self-improvement that are in line with your core values. Embrace challenges as opportunities to strengthen your commitment to what matters most to you.

By consciously integrating your Core Values into your daily life, you can lead a more authentic, purposeful, and fulfilling existence. You will make better decisions, choose better friends, and set meaningful goals that motivate you to achieve your full potential. In short, you’ll live your very best life and you’ll know exactly how, and why you’re doing it.

One-Time
Monthly
Yearly

Consider buying my next Diet Coke(s)
Yes, I know it’s not the healthiest beverage but I kind of sort of live on the stuff… and the stuff is getting as expensive as gold. 😋
I’d appreciate any support but seriously, support or not, I’ll continue to try and write a blog that gives back, informs and sometimes even entertains.

Make a monthly donation

Make a yearly donation

Choose an amount

$5.00
$15.00
$100.00
$5.00
$15.00
$100.00
$5.00
$15.00
$100.00

Or enter a custom amount

$

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearly

How to Make Difficult Decisions

Steve Keating 4 Comments

I was in a meeting several years ago when someone in a very high leadership position asked “how do you teach someone to make a decision?” I responded by saying “you let them make decisions, sometimes even bad ones.”

I’m not sure that was a very well received answer, especially the “even bad ones” part. But it’s still true today, there is no better way for anyone to learn how to make decisions than to make them. It’s kind of like riding a bike. You can watch videos on bike riding, you can read a book on how to ride a bike but at some point, the only way to learn how to actually ride a bike is to ride one. Even if that means falling off a bunch of times.

But managers in organizations have a very difficult time allowing other people, particularly people lower than them in the organization, to make decisions. They “empower” them to make decisions but they seldom enable them. That prevents even empowered people from exercising that power. And that’s just fine with most managers.

Leaders however both empower and enable their people to make decisions. They offer suggestions, they coach and they provide feedback but they seldom overrule a decision made by someone they empowered. Even at times when they know the outcome will be less than optimal.

They won’t allow their people to make large, expensive mistakes but they know allowing the small, less costly mistakes from time to time might be the best investment they can make in the development of their people.

Once the mistake is realized they coach their people to “solve” the problem on their own…that’s the “learning” part of how to make better decisions.

But making big and difficult decisions can be daunting, whether it be in business or our personal lives. If you have difficult decisions to make here’s a process that may help.

1. Gather Information. Collect all relevant information about the decision at hand. This could include pros and cons, potential consequences, and any available data or insights. You may never have all the information you’d like to have but that’s okay, some of the additional steps below can help you fill in the blanks.

2. Define Criteria. Determine the criteria that are important for making the decision. This could involve considering your values, goals, priorities, and any constraints or limitations.

3. Explore Options. Brainstorm and explore different options or alternatives. Be creative and open-minded, considering both conventional and unconventional paths.

4. Evaluate Options. Assess each option against the criteria you defined earlier. Consider the potential outcomes, risks, and benefits associated with each option.

5. Consider Consequences. Think about the short-term and long-term consequences of each option. Consider how each decision could impact your life, as well as the lives of others involved. The best decision makers I know consider not only the consequences of a decision but the consequences of the consequences of the consequences. They are often a step or two ahead of everyone else involved in the decision making process. This is the level you should work towards.

6. Trust Your Instincts. While it’s important to analyze and weigh your options carefully, sometimes your gut feeling can provide valuable insight. Trust your intuition, especially if all options seem equally appealing or unappealing. That “intuition” is often a learning from a past experience you’ve had that your conscious mind doesn’t remember but your subconscious mind does.

7. Seek Advice. Talk to trusted friends, family members, mentors, or professionals who can offer different perspectives or insights on the decision. Sometimes an outside opinion can provide clarity.

8. Make the Decision. After thorough deliberation, make a decision. Trust that you’ve considered all relevant factors to the best of your ability.

9. Take Action. Once you’ve made a decision, take action to implement it. Be prepared to adjust your plan as needed based on new information or changing circumstances. You would be surprised by how many people execute those first 8 steps flawlessly and still somehow miss this step. It is not really a decision unless some action is taken as a result of it. That means if you skip step nine you have NOT actually made a decision.

10. Reflect and Learn. After the decision has been made and implemented, take time to reflect on the process. Consider what went well, what could have been done differently, and what lessons you can apply to future decisions.

Making decisions can be challenging, making difficult ones is even more challenging. It’s okay to feel uncertain at times. Trust in your ability to navigate through the process and learn from the experience, regardless of the outcome.

By following this process, the more decisions you make the better your decision making will become. There will always be another difficult decision to make in your life, there won’t however be a decision you’re not prepared to make.

You Could be Wrong

Steve Keating 1 Comment

If you’ve read this blog for any length of time you know that my first job in management came as quite a shock to me. I was a very good salesperson until one day I was pulled into the office and asked if I would be interested in jumping several levels of management to become the General Sales Manager. 

I wasn’t actually sure what the General Sales Manager did but I did know the job came with a new car, a huge office with a private bathroom and a whole lot more money. Lots and lots of money. 

So of course I said yes and the following Monday I was in charge of a large sales organization. I didn’t let the fact that I didn’t know what I was doing keep me from doing it. We were selling soda pop and I sold more than anybody. How tough could it be to make sure everyone else was selling all they could too.

To say I made a few mistakes would be a rather large understatement. The worst part was everyone but me could see the mistakes coming from a mile away. I might have been a little too proud to ask the more experienced people for help but eventually I made the sales organization more of a democracy so others could share their ideas. But I made the final call because I was the boss and that’s what bosses do. 

Shortly after I was promoted I faced the biggest decision I would ever make in my new role. There were two major convenience store chains in the city where I was working. Vendors in both of those chains paid for the best shelf space. I only had the budget to purchase “eye level”  cooler space in one of the chains. The chains appeared to be about the same to me so I very strategically picked the chain with a location closest to my house. 

We would still have shelf space in the other chain’s stores but it would be “bottom shelf. ” Customers would have to look long and hard to find our products. 

My decision looked good for a few weeks. A few weeks. Just 3 weeks after making the agreement with one convenience chain it was acquired by the chain I decided not to make an agreement with. 

The chain that did the acquiring tossed all the vendor contracts from the chain they acquired. That meant in every major convenience store in a large metropolitan area, my products were now all bottom shelf. 

I was pretty lucky that my boss didn’t think that disaster was my fault. He chalked it up to bad luck and we agreed there was no way I could have seen that coming. But to this day I suspect I could have seen it coming. I know for a fact I should have seen it coming. 

I managed to mitigate much of the damage with some new sales programs and by out hustling the competition. I also learned a ton about making decisions, making mistakes, and “fixing” poor decisions. 

But what I learned most of all is to accept the fact that I could be wrong. About almost anything. That meant that people I disagreed with could be right. About almost anything. 

Authentic Leaders must make confident decisions based on the facts they have available. They must also be open to discover new facts that become available and have the courage to change a decision based on the new information. 

Leaders who cannot accept that one of their decisions may need to be changed are very limited leaders. Leaders who refuse to accept that they could be wrong have no ability to learn from their mistakes. Leaders who believe that accepting responsibility for a poor decision is a weakness will never fully have the trust of their people. 

Leaders who do not have the trust of their people are leaders in name only. For anyone hoping to truly lead making a mistake need not be fatal, refusing to admit that mistake most often is. 

Tough Decisions

Steve Keating Leave a comment

There are many characteristics that make a leader. One of the most important is good judgment, especially when making tough decisions. Poor decision making can make small problems big and cause big problems to become fatal.

The tendency of weak leaders is to put off decisions as long as possible. Sometimes it’s actually possible to put off a decision forever. Except it’s not really possible.

What weaker leaders don’t seem to understand is that not making a decision IS a decision. It’s a decision not to decide and that particular decision is almost always a bad decision.

Other leaders, even good leaders, want to wait to make a decision until they have as much information as possible to make a correct decision. That’s good thinking…except when it isn’t.

The very best leaders are prepared to make decisions even when they don’t have all the information they wish they had. They are prepared to make decisions even when the information they use to make those decisions changes every day.

They use past experience as reference points and their “gut instincts” to make the best decision possible at the time the decision needs to be made. They don’t only do that with small or easy decisions. In fact oftentimes they have to make the tough decisions, even the toughest decisions, without all the information they wish they had.

But Authentic Leaders make the decision anyway.

Authentic Leaders know that it’s easier to fix a wrong decision than it is to fix no decision. A real decision causes action to be taken and that action can be adjusted as many times as a fast changing situation may require. No decision is a decision to not take action and that inertia becomes more difficult to overcome the longer it persists.

It takes a ton more fuel to get a plane in the air than it does to keep it there. Changing course also requires far less energy than taking off. So it is with decisions too. Once you’ve made a real decision you’re in motion and motion begets motion.

Authentic Leaders make tough decisions. Many of them don’t enjoy having to do that but they make those decisions anyway. They know some of their decisions will be wrong but most of them, especially the big ones, will be right.

Don’t delay when it comes to making a decision. The moment you have enough information to make a decision make it. If you don’t have enough information to make a decision and a decision must still be made then make the decision.

Somewhere inside all of us is the ability to make good decisions. Authentic Leaders reach within themselves and bring that ability to the surface. That “reach” begins with a willingness to risk being wrong. It includes an understanding that a wrong decision gives a leader more control over a situation than no decision at all.

Don’t try to hide behind a “no decision,” take a risk of being wrong and make a tough decision, who knows, you may be right.