Five Ways to ‘Make or Break’ Your Leadership Decisions

AS A LEADER, making decisions is, of course, part and parcel of the job.

However, making the rightdecisions is also absolutely crucial – with the choices you make certainly combining to ‘make or break’ your position.

Of course, there has never been a better time than now to hone your leadership skills, and no matter which generation you are from – Millennial, Gen X, Y or Baby Boomer – the advantages of good leadership should never be underestimated.

For younger leaders, good leadership skills are even more important: particularly when some sources estimate that by 2025, about 75 per cent of the world’s workforce will be made up of Millennials, (those born after 1982).

The implications of this global demographic shift are enormous, and as the majority of Baby Boomers, Gen X and Y’s retire over the next 10 years, the Millennials will be in the box seat to take over.

With this in mind, today’s leaders need to consider some of the best ways to improve their decision-making skills – especially as a leader’s decisions are very often the catalyst for their managerial success.

In a recent thebalance.com article, leadership expert Art Petty explains how making decisions is a leader’s ‘rocket fuel’ - driving their strategies and innovations to ensure their organisation is always moving forward, efficiently and effectively.

To help leaders succeed, Petty outlines the following five major areas that can ‘make or break’ them in their decision-making:

1. Hire the right people

As all effective leaders know, good people are the lifeblood of any successful organisation. Thus, good leaders know how to pick the right people when hiring by placing particular emphasis on character and values, and not just experience and employment history. And by taking their time over selection and really getting to know the candidates, a strong and effective leader can pave the way for a successful hire, both now and in the future

2. Remove the ‘dead wood’

By the same token, successful leaders also recognise underperforming, unhappy or unsuitable employees - before they are able to spread their toxic ways to others. However, rather than firing these individuals on the spot, good leaders should also offer them a ‘second chance’ – by providing ample feedback, coaching, and where possible, the opportunity for them to adapt and change

3. Be decisive about ‘ethical dilemmas’

All good leaders know about ethical dilemmas - and how to deal with them decisively. Of course, it is important to remember that when making such decisions, your character is on the line, and making a bad, ‘unethical’ decision will always come back to haunt you eventually. So, good leaders never allow themselves to be blinded by ‘short cuts’ or short-term results – and they know how to make decisive, ethical decisions for the ‘long haul’

4. Be able to admit your mistakes

Good leaders know how to admit their mistakes and where possible, reverse a decision or change course, if necessary. There is no shame in admitting you are wrong, and some of the world’s most successful business people and entrepreneurs have done this. Unfortunately, there are always leaders who refuse to take responsibility for their errors, and in these cases, the organisation and its workers are usually the first to suffer

5. Think broadly and strategically

To help maintain a strong leadership position in any organisation, it is essential to think broadly and strategically. By constantly questioning how things can be done better and more innovatively, you will both accelerate the rate of growth and improve the bottom line. Anticipating customer needs is part of this, as is looking for the root cause of any problems or complaints.