Start 2021 By Keeping it Simple

We will remember the year 2020 for many things, not the least of which will be the global COVID-19 pandemic. But for business leaders, it was not the virus itself that caused most of us the distress, nor the opportunities. It was and always is, the decisions that you make in the presence of uncertainty.

The choices you make determine the life you have.

Circumstances always play a role but rarely independent of the decisions that guide how you react to them. As a leader, the quality of the decisions you make has far broader and more significant consequences than those we make as individuals. 

The weight on a leader's shoulders is most pressing during times of enormous uncertainty when the need for deliberate action reaches an inescapable crisis point. The inability to discern which measures are most appropriate can have dire costs. The greater the uncertainty you face, the higher the risk of failure. But by the same stroke, the possibility of finding opportunities also increases. These are what we call "make-or-break" decisions. 2020 will be looked back upon as a make-or-break year for many businesses. And those who were lucky were mostly led by leaders who were smart and courageous.

The word "decision" literally means to cut-off. By choosing one course of action, you separate yourself from your other options. There is often finality in the choices we make. When you have the luxury of time and can benefit from access to the information you need to form your decision, you can raise your confidence in those choices. The most critical decisions most of us faced during this past year offered neither. 

The level of uncertainty about the nature of the virus, the actions of sometimes competing civil authorities, the reaction of the markets, and the duration of the crisis, made it nearly impossible to calculate the risks you were taking or the probability of making good choices. Being smart is knowing what you don't know – and incorporating that thinking into the choices you make.  We were flying by the seat of our pants, relying on gut instinct in the absence of anything concrete to lean on. It was a true test of courage and leadership. 

Courage and smarts will never save everyone. Some heroes did everything right and everything they could – and still became casualties of this roiling sea of uncertainty. On the front lines, healthcare providers paid with their lives, while those impacted by failed businesses paid with their livelihoods. 

One thing perhaps most impressive about society is our capacity for resilience in the face of tragic devastation. Business is just a facet of humanity– one where leadership has an opportunity to demonstrate their courage and test their wits by defying the odds and mounting a recovery. Restoring people's economic well-being is essential for returning to a general state of hopefulness and vibrancy. Restoring health and protecting us from illness is not enough. People find dignity and joy in the meaningful things they accomplish. Businesses provide both the economic sustenance and the satisfaction of making a meaningfully significant contribution through their efforts that people need to be healthy and happy.

Your experience might lead you to believe that making tough decisions is no simple matter.

There is significant uncertainty surrounding the problems you face that is only amplified by the enormous complexity and ambiguity that is increasingly inherent in the choices you find yourself needing to make.  But it is possible – and necessary to simplify the decision-making process. The answer lies in gaining perspective and utilizing creative leadership skills. 

One of the most effective ways to gain the perspective you need is to remove yourself from the isolation that is endemic to your position as a leader.

When facing critical decisions, loneliness is not just unsettling; it can be catastrophic. Our private thoughts left unexamined become an echo chamber for our beliefs and biases. Without the benefit of having our thinking challenged, our options become severely limited, and we are captive to our best or possibly worst instincts.  

It may seem trite to suggest that none of us is smarter than all of us – but when it comes to making critical decisions when volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity, or VUCA conditions challenge your abilities, what you need is clarity and determination. Diversity of perspective offers better questions. Better questions always lead to better answers. Having trusted peers who are willing to hold you to account for your decisions helps form the basis for the determination that moves uncomfortable decisions into execution. This level of support is what you need to accomplish what matters most. 

When facing critical decisions, loneliness is not just unsettling; it can be catastrophic.

Most people understand that everything simple is not necessarily easy.

Understanding who you need to be when your actions matter the most defines what you in the eyes of those who might depend on you. It is never easy to see ourselves the way others do. Being openly receptive to the kind of bruising honesty that shows us who we are is also not easy, but it is the best way to become who you need to be. Most of us can rebuff criticism from well-meaning people in our lives who we can dismiss as not fully understanding our responsibilities and challenges. But it is nearly impossible to ignore the observations of people who do: other people who face the same challenges and responsibilities.   

The creative tendencies you need to lead effectively in a VUCA word come from within you. An astute observation made by Dilbert cartoonist Scott Adams suggests that "Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is know which ones to keep." Creativity is a function of defiance. We defy the status quo in order to see different options and new opportunities. It is also a function of vulnerability. It is impossible to be creative if you are unable to be wrong. There is an implicit need for raw curiosity in every creative pursuit. 

Curiosity requires getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.

You must breach the boundaries of your comfort zone lean-in towards the unknown. Some people easily find the courage to do so and might even be judged to be reckless. Those who don't find it so easy to muster the courage to challenge the status quo or question their own beliefs will discover that having those same peers surrounding you can help. 

Finding ways to surround yourself with the right kind of people is simple enough. They already exist.

You can look back to Ben Franklin's time, where he convened a group of local business leaders for precisely these purposes. He referred to them as his Junta – and credited his and others' successes with the value derived from their shared counsel. Today you can seek out the same advantage from any number of organizations that convene peer groups of highly competent leaders for such purposes. 

It may not be so easy to find a competent Junta to suit your own needs. You want to make sure that the group is comprised of peers that provide the kind of safety and confidentiality that supports radical candor, productive conversation, caring confrontation, and a broad enough perspective to ensure that the insight you receive offers real clarity and is actionable. 

Finally, remember that complexity stems from simplicity.

When you can distill your challenges to a simple question, there is no telling what value you might find in your answers. The problem we identify is the only problem we can solve. That is why, as a leader, it is far more valuable to have your answers questioned – than your questions answered. The quality of the questions you ask will determine your success in business and life. 

How do you plan to make things simple in the coming year? If you can manage to do so, you might be well along the path of making 2021 a year worth remembering for reasons far better than the year just past. 

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