DECISIVENESS : THE LEADER'S ANTHEM

On the evening of June 2, 1944, General Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of Allied Forces, met the British Prime Minister along with his top generals to discuss on the D day of Operation Overlord.?Given the cloudy skies, heavy rain and choppy seas, the weather wasn’t conducive for Operation Overlord to be launched.?The weather report said that weather would clear by mid-afternoon 05 June. Eisenhower decided to change the date for D-Day, which was already delayed by a month, to 06 June being fully aware of the fact that this may give a chance to the Germans to possibly learn of the Allies' plan.

As preparations for the launch began, General Eisenhower wrote a message on a piece of paper which he was to send for publication in case the invasion failed. The message read, “Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and place was based upon the best information available. The troops, the air, and the Navy did all that bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mine alone”. His words demonstrated his character and willingness to accept personal responsibility for the momentous decision. The letter was never to be published, though.

The Allies won the war within the next two months and drove the Germans out of France. ?The decisiveness of General Eisenhower amidst the chaos and stacked up odds won the war for Allies. As said by, Lt. Gen. Bedell Smith who was the assistant of General Eisenhower, “I never realized before the loneliness and isolation of a commander at a time when such a momentous decision has to be taken, with the full knowledge that failure or success rests on his judgment alone”, General Dwight Eisenhower, the great leader he was, rose to that occasion with character and greatness.?

Decisiveness is the ability to make well informed, timely and impactful decisions. Decisiveness forms the most vital quality of a great leader. Great leaders have this innate ability to take on the mantle and make decisions at crucial junctures to achieve success in their mission. They, with their technical prowess and knowledge, gather all possible information on the situation, analyze, generate options, deliberate on them, take calculated risks where required and make their decisions.

Great leaders are approachable, ardent listeners, they encourage feedback, consider opinions of all stakeholders and advisers, achieve clarity on the situation and cull out weak choices before taking decisions to achieve their goals. They, always and every time, step up their game of being decisive to progress on their chosen path irrespective of the uncertain situation which weave a fog of ?lack of clarity. They evaluate their options, decide on a plan of action and then stick to it.

Great leaders work on themselves to develop excellent analytical and interpretive skills. They are adept at evaluating risks and opportunities even in conditions which are time critical, high pressure and complex with cap on resource availability and incomplete or conflicting information. So here are some tips to improve decisiveness to be a better leader

1.????????Responsible. ???Be responsible. Be committed. Walk the talk. Great leaders take responsibility of their decisions in terms of the outcomes they yield irrespective of whether the results are good or bad.?“When the time comes that he feels he must make a decision, he must make it in a clean-cut fashion and on his own responsibility and take full blame for anything that goes wrong whether or not it results from his mistake”, said General Eisenhower about being a decisive leader. It is the character and the commitment of the leader which elevates him to greatness.

2.????????Confidence.?????Be confident even in uncertainty. Be prepared to take risks. Deliver your message with clarity and confidence. Do your analysis before arriving at the decision. Your confidence acts as motivation to your employees in propel them in successful implementation of the decisions made.

3.????????Humility.??????????Be humble. Be approachable. Be an encourager. Seek help. Encourage your employees to air their opinion. Carefully consider all the opinions to arrive at making a well informed and analysed decision.

4.????????Knowledge.?????Be a constant learner. Be open minded. Encourage your employees to gain deep knowledge and expertise. Be thorough in your profession. Keep yourself abreast with all the latest in your field. Have complete knowledge of the resources you have at hand. Gather all possible information. Analyse and assess the information taking into consideration the resources available and the alternative options to arrive at the most viable decision.

5.????????Focus.??????Be focused. Prioritize effectively. Consider all possible options. Identify critical factors to arrive at the decision. Be a stickler to timelines. ?Do not fall in the trap of wasting time in over-analysing. Decide fast with the goal in mind. Decisions taken and implemented in time yield the desired effect irrespective of the decisions being intuition based or information and reason based. ?

6. ???????Inclusivity.???????Include all stakeholders in the process of arriving at a decision. Encourage your employees to share their ideas and expertise. Encourage feedback and participation of your employees in decision making. Give a patient ear to their suggestions and advices. This will improve trust, team spirit and the eagerness to perform, in the employees.

7.????????Uncertainty.?????Shun fear of unknown and uncertainty. Be optimistic. Develop complete understanding of the problem which necessitates taking a decision. Accept the fact that there will be uncertainty. Remember decisiveness is a result of mental clarity. Be transparent and honest in your communication to give out clear information to counter conditions of uncertainty and cull stress and anxiety. Be bold and take calculated risks. Decide after due consideration of gathered information, available resources and the set timelines. Have a clear strategy and direction.

8.????????Logic.??Be logical. Be open to change. Anticipate the outcomes through logical assumptions and thinking with due consideration to all protocols and policies. This gives clarity in being specific while setting goals and timelines.

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To the leader in you