Being a leader can be fun, uplifting, and rewarding, particularly when things are running smoothly, everyone is getting along, and decision-making is easy. The truth about leadership is there are sure to be challenges along the way and then it may not feel as fun, uplifting, and rewarding. What do we do when we are called on to make a decision that does not have an easy answer? You can’t have someone else make the decision. You must decide and it’s possible your decision may not be liked by everyone else. So, what do you do?
Here are 5 Leadership Tips for Making a Hard Decision.
- Do your research. Gather as much information about the situation or problem as you can from multiple sources.
- Ask for input. Talk with trusted members of your team to get their thoughts on the best course of action.
- Make a list of the possible decisions. There may be more than two options. What are they?
- Write out the pros and cons of each decision. Based on each possible decision, what would be the likely outcome? Who would be affected positively and who is affected negatively? Which decisions are or are not in alignment with your values and the values of the organization or group?
- Be willing to defend your decision and share your WHY. When making a hard decision, inevitably there will be disagreement. Be willing to stand by your decision and defend it by explaining your process of decision-making, the desired outcome, and how the decision was value-aligned. Be true to your purpose and the mission of the group.
Making a hard decision can be…well, hard. But, when you follow these 5 steps, you can feel confident you made the right decision for the good of the group. You know what is worse than making a hard decision? Making no decision. Leaders are called on to make decisions, and they are most often defined not by the easy decisions but by the most difficult ones.
