SMALL “DECISION AVOIDER” BOSS VS. BIG “DECISION MAKER” LEADER

Small bosses have a tendency to view important organizational decisions as oppressive, stressful and replete with painful risk. As a consequence, they seek to avoid them by endeavoring to transfer that responsibility to others with the hopes of also avoiding responsibility for their consequences.  How many times have you heard or seen a so-called leader deflect responsibility for important decisions that resulted in undesirable consequences to someone below them or outside their sphere of influence while successfully avoiding any examination of the small boss’ role in placing the offending person in that position in the first place, or training and equipping them, or holding them accountable, etc.?  The small boss’ shadow mission is to preserve their position and avoid taking responsibility for the consequences of decision-making as much as possible.  This type of mentality often manifests in an organization whose goals are unfocused and priorities erratic, the consequences of which are often poor morale among the organization’s individual contributors (the people who actually produce results) and disappointing outcomes for the owners and other stakeholders.

The BIG Leader realizes that a choice between a good and a bad option is not a decision at all but rather an opportunity to be seized since those kinds of choices tend to rarely arise and when they do, they often have a limited time horizon.  The BIG Leader understands a true decision is often a choice between two or more desirable or even undesirable options that often involve facing valid but competing personal and/or organizational values, interests and goals that must be reconciled, prioritized and decided upon for the leader and their organization to move forward.  BIG Leaders eschew the inaction and lack of productivity that comes with the lack of solid decision-making.  BIG Leaders embrace and relish decision-making and the risks associated with them because they understand this is one of the main reasons why they are in their leadership position in the first place and that, like exercising a physical muscle, decision-making gets better and stronger the more you properly exercise it, even if it is often accompanied by some pain and discomfort in the short-term.

So BIG Leader, what is the BIG decision that has you leaning more towards avoiding than embracing it this week?  If you’re in a formal leadership position you usually have at least one of these at any given time.  What two or more desirable or undesirable choices are you facing?  What competing values are you wrestling with that must be reconciled, prioritized and acted upon so you can move your team/organization forward?  Rather than solely focusing on the immediate discomfort associated with your BIG decision, make a BIG Decision Paradigm Shift by focusing on how your BIG decision will move you and your team/organization forward in a potentially better direction and grow you as a leader over the long haul.  There’s always some form of risk, pain and gain in difficult decision-making, even if it means you learn from a wrong decision.  As a young Army Reserve Officer, I learned that it’s often better to make a wrong decision than no decision at all because 1) not making a decision is indeed a decision, albeit a passive one and 2) you can at least learn from an intentional decision that didn’t produce the results you desired which, while potentially painful in the short-term, makes you better and stronger in the long-term.  As Arnold Swarzenegger said: “No Pain, No Gain.”

This week, don’t resort to being a Small “Decision Avoider” Boss.  Be a BIG “Decision Maker” Leader. 

That’s all for this episode of the Small Boss – BIG Leader Series. Until next time, have a blessed rest of the week.