Leadership Dilemmas - Engagement and Decision Making Challenges

I have often heard people talk about leaders saying, how they’ve changed as they grew higher. On the other hand, I have heard leaders say that it is lonely at the top. I wondered a lot why this might be. It was only as I grew in my career that I found out about the reality.

It won’t be wrong to say that it can get lonely at the top. After all, when you look at an organizational structure, it’s like a pyramid, more often than not. It is not so necessarily because of the authority arrangement that the company might follow, especially in modern times, when work models are getting more and more flexible. This is actually more to do with the way responsibilities are divided. These structures are made so that people at every position can work in tandem with each other for the effective working of the company.

As we move up in the hierarchy, the kind of responsibilities one has evolves as well. This pushes them to also evolve the way they handle situations, interact with their peers, and make decisions. Naturally, this leads to the shrinking of their peer group. It is important for leaders to be emotionally cognizant, but they can’t afford to be governed by them in the decision-making process.

They must make calculated decisions that are fair towards every person in the organization and help it move towards growth. And therefore, making logical, data-based decisions is the only way leaders can ensure business sustainability at same time grow with collective wisdom (of their employees).

I also believe that being connected with each other through structured processes will help employees better understand leadership decisions. It will also help leaders choose the right course of action. This is why I always try to engage with my colleagues through focused internal sessions such as Town hall, FreeWheeling, Melting-of-the-Minds, Face-off, High tea Conversations to name a few. These help me understand the pulse of the organization through their candid views. I found this helpful in keeping the team motivated and building trust.

When a leader knows that their actions are in the best interest of their company and hence, for the people in the company, it can help them make peace with the difficult decisions and turn the loneliness into happiness. This way, a leader can take his/her people along and still be practical in their approach.

No matter what the situation, at the end of the day, it’s important to have the support of your teams. Not only can you get sidetracked in the tough times, but even success has the ability to throw you off. This is where the backing of the team will help you sail through. I have always believed in a statement that ?? ??? ????? ??? ?? ?? ????? ???? ?????, ?? ??? ????? ?? ?? ?? ?????? ???? ?????. This has helped me stay cognitive, connected, and calm no matter what life throws at me.