General Powell’s Rule #6: Don’t let adverse facts stand in the way of a good decision.
In my last post, I talked about how I can tend to not make a decision based on my own worst imagination. What about the good decision that needs to get made, yet you know that some not great things will happen? There will be side effects.
Leadership is made up of decisions like this. If the outcome of every decision were nice and pleasant, then more people would probably be leaders. As a type 9 on the Enneagram (the peacemaker), I am always trying to make decisions that leave everyone happy. This is not possible. For those of you, non-9’s out there, you are saying to yourself “no duh!” (do people still say that?)
Much of the time, decisions are about picking the one that has the least number of downsides; the one that is the best of some pretty bad option; or the one that is the best for the organization, but not necessarily for individuals.
If you are a leader, the people that follow you need you to make decisions.
They need you to make good decisions.
Sometimes good decisions have some negative side effects.
Not making good decisions because of bad side effects is essentially the same as making a bad decision.
Wow…this was good for me to hear. I love this blog!
Next: Rule #7 – You can’t make someone else’s choices. You shouldn’t let someone else make yours.
