Our lives in contradiction
We face contradiction after contradiction in the business world.
How do you meet short term goals whilst being an authentic custodian of the future?
How do make the big final decisions whilst being humble enough to look for help?
How do you make changes when the status quo is what your team really want?
In a leadership role, you face these every day.
The more senior you become, the more stark it can be. Imagine the CEO, literally peerless in the organisation, required to make final calls with the information they have in front of them. It can be a lonely role but it centres on the trust they have, in themselves and those surrounding them.
You only have to look at recent examples in the UK news and the decisions of P&O leadership to look at contradictions and decision making ('save the business/act unethically & illegally with regards your employees') - that one 'seems' easy...many aren't.
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If everyone around you agrees with you, look for the contradiction.
It will help you make better decisions. Conversely, if you are only facing contradiction at every turn, look at the people around you and work to find themes and trust.
At times I do find myself taking decisions personally. Sometimes so much that I have to step back and pause. At these times I deploy a simple technique of quickly considering the impact of the decision (on me and the people around me) in 3 hours, 3 months and 3 years. It soon grounds me. This feeling of personal accountability doesn't prevent me from making decisions, on the contrary (see what I did there), I feel it makes me a better leader.
I am lucky to find myself surrounded by people who want to lead in their own right, I have strong peers, a supportive boss and a team full of peers who are keen to grow - that makes the work fun. Peers help a lot (if they're not there in the 'hierarchical' sense then find or create it from the team you are leading) the 'what do you think' and 'what would you do' are so valuable when leading a team. I also have peers acting as informal coaches outside of my job, ex-colleagues or alumni who I know I can kick around ideas with and get world class replies, support and contradiction back. All good for the decision making and I like to think I help them too!
So, the next time you lament a situation that looks contradictory, pause and smile - it's the fun part. You'll make the right decision..
Thanks for reading.
I help business leaders successfully launch and scale new innovations | Business Growth Accelerator | Commercial Strategy | Marketing & GTM Expert | Customer Experience & Loyalty Driver
2 年I enjoyed reading your perspective and agree that better decisions can be made when the opposing point of view/scenarios can be played out. But to make that happen, there has to be a very strong environment of trust in the organization. You need to surround yourself with colleagues who are willing to be confident and share their POV even if it goes against what the CEO or leaders are currently thinking.
CHRO with P&L experience | PE-backed turnarounds, VC scale-ups & listed MNCs
2 年Great article, ‘Contradiction’ pops up in some interesting places; 1. Opposable Thinking (Roger Martín) - the best decisions come from holding opposable thoughts for as long as possible - essentially allowing them to stew together… 2. Jim Collins Level 5 Leadership. The rare contradictory leadership traits in truly transformational leaders of (1) drive/conviction with (2) humility/low-ego. The latter seeks (evidenced) contradictions to the former.
Strategy Consulting | Education | M&A | Insight | Local Government
2 年Thanks for sharing. Really liked the 3 hours, 3 months, 3 years thinking