Taking Decisive Action

As leaders, we have a tough job, the higher uncertainty and fear levels rise, the more assurance those we lead seek from us. They look at us for direction, for reassurance, for decisions. 

So how do we keep a cool and clear head to lead the way in tough times? How do we make good decisions? 

First, and most importantly, we need to learn to set the fear aside. A decision made from a place of fear is rarely a good one. 

Try to mentally take a couple of steps back and see the bigger picture, find the root cause. Try not to get too caught up in ‘treating the symptoms’. Most issues are much simpler than people make them out to be. Dissect the issue with laser focus and separate the wheat from the chaff. What is really important here? What really matters? Who needs to be involved in this issue and who doesn’t?

Data-driven decisions are valuable in many cases but we mustn’t forget that they are not the holy grail of decision-making. There are decisions that we can’t base on data, decisions that we have to make from the gut or from good old-fashioned reasoning. 

Especially when we’re faced with a situation without precedent, we need to rely on other ways to make decisions. 

We tend to get caught up in what seems like the complexity of life today, when, in fact, we are just adding in unnecessary complications half the time.

The diagram above shows what often happens when we start thinking. We get distracted and instead of thinking through one subject completely and then moving on to the next (as in the diagram below), we get them all tangled up together, jump from one thing to another and never quite think all the way through one thing.

That’s why we need books like ‘Deep Work’ now that teach us how to focus again. We live in such a state of constant distraction today that we have forgotten what used to be the MO at work: to focus on one thing at a time and really delve deeply into that topic. Our ability to make clear decisions that lead to constructive commitments has diminished over time. 

Six Ways to Take Decisive Action 

1) Move

The important thing is to move at all, not to freeze with indecision. Making any decision is better than making no decision at all. As long as you’re moving, you can always course correct. If you’re standing still, you are certainly not getting anywhere. 

2) Step Back

Take a step back from the problem and look at the bigger picture. Don’t get stuck in the weeds. What is really important here and what is just extraneous detail? See the bigger picture, concentrate on consequences, take ownership and take action. Or, if this is not your area of expertise, hire someone to advise you. 

3) Put Feelings Aside

We don’t make great decisions when we are acting from anger or fear. It is really important to get out of the emotional state and set those feelings aside before we decide. Sometimes it is not so easy to be aware of those feelings, so be sure to check in with yourself. In times like now, when uncertainty and fear are so pervasive, it is easy to normalize these feelings to an extent where we hardly notice the constant low-level stress they cause. Be aware.   

4) Stay Present

What is the issue right now? While it is important to learn from past mistakes, it is also vital not to get tangled up in old stories. This is a new situation and you have evolved in the meantime, so stay in the present and deal with the situation as it is now. Ask yourself: what is true and relevant right now? 

5) Simplify

Break it down. Most issues are not as complex as they seem. Discover the simplicity of the issue by first untangling unrelated issues, then discerning patterns and finally looking for the root cause rather than treating the symptoms. With a little practice, this process will happen automatically as you tackle complex issues. It’s worth investing the time to get to that stage. 

6) Trust

Once you have made the best decision you were able to make at the time, it is important to let the topic go. Second-guessing your decision and worrying about it is a waste of time. 

A Practical Example

Amir is the Global CEO at an MNC. His national CEOs are all looking to him for guidance on how to deal with the many challenges of these difficult times. 

Amir isn’t so sure himself. It’s not like any of us have ever been in a situation like this before. But he knows he needs to take the lead. He needs to take decisive action now.  

First, he has to simplify down all the different requests he’s been getting to find the common thread. It transpires to be how to keep morale high and how to keep the corporate culture alive and strong.

Then he steps back for a moment to get an overview and decides to prioritize working on engagement in remote environments.

So he hires a coach who has experience with remote-first teams and asks them to help him figure out how to keep the culture alive and the morale high in these challenging times. He informs his CEOs that he is working on the situation and they will be invited to participate in creating the solution in a couple of weeks.

After a few one-on-one calls with the coach to lay the groundwork, Amir invites his CEOs to a workgroup that is facilitated by the coach. Participation is voluntary. The CEOs in the workgroup get busy looking at available data and research-based writing on what has worked for remote teams. Together they decide what will work for their organization and how to best implement it in their respective countries.

Within 4 weeks, they are ready to take action. At this point, Amir is no longer directly involved. He trusts his CEOs that they will take the issue forward and create good solutions.