Unveiling the Art of Collective Decision-Making: Lessons from History and Leadership

I am pleased to share with you my weekly article on leadership and the fantastic feedback that added unique and inspiring details to my articles. Today, we will continue discussing the topic of decision-making, using a historical example that illustrates the impact of making collective decisions and how success spread to everyone.

This story dates back hundreds of years, where a king in ancient times decided to embark on an extensive journey across his vast kingdom. He was accompanied by his entourage and state officials who joined him on the trip. Midway through the journey, a thorn pricked the king's foot, causing intense pain. Angered by this, the king issued a decree to cover the entire kingdom with leather so that neither he nor his soldiers would suffer the same pain. The traditional followers of the king began to execute his order without thinking outside the box or showing the courage to express their opinions.

Amidst this commotion, a wise man among them questioned the king's idea and proposed an alternative. Instead of using all the leather in the kingdom and neighboring cities to cover the entire wilderness, why not sew the leather onto the sole of the foot? This way, they wouldn't waste much leather, yet fulfill the task of protecting the foot. This marked the first practical application of footwear in the world.

From this story, we observe that the king, in thinking about covering the entire kingdom with leather, believed he was coming up with a unique idea that would distinguish him from the rest of the people. However, in reality, it didn't turn out that way.

One lesson learned is the

displayed by the wise man who rejected the king's idea and came up with a viable alternative. This is a topic we will delve into in the coming days – the resistance to change by some and the book "Our Iceberg Is Melting" has already begun to address this issue in an enjoyable manner.

The decision-making process is not exclusive to prominent figures; it is a collective process involving all individuals. One historical lesson that provides valuable insights is the situation faced by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The Prophet, considered one of the greatest figures in history, had many lessons in leadership and wisdom that we will explore in the coming weeks.

In a critical moment during the Prophet's time, when the city of Medina faced a significant threat and news of a potential attack reached him, a decision had to be made. The circumstances were dire, with limited resources in the city. The decision-making process at this time was crucial – it was a make-or-break situation. The Prophet consulted his companions and advisors on developing a plan to defend the city. Initially, the Prophet suggested staying in the city and defending it by having every soldier stay in their position. However, some advisors were not in favor of this idea, proposing instead to leave the city to fight, allowing women and children to escape the danger.

Here, the mental brainstorming and exchange of ideas began, with citizens of the city contributing thoughts until one suggested the idea of building a trench around the city. All citizens participated in digging a massive trench, creating a formidable barrier that terrified the enemies and prevented them from crossing. This idea originated from an ordinary citizen, not necessarily a person in a high-ranking position. It gained the approval of everyone, and they decided to implement this plan together, achieving victory and eliminating the biggest threat to their state.

In this story, we see that challenging days and obstacles face everyone at all times, and they cannot be avoided. Therefore, decision-making, especially in dark times, should be a collective process, not an individual one. This collective effort becomes the straw that everyone holds onto for survival.

"No matter how knowledgeable or experienced you are, you cannot create a 100% error-free action plan. Share it, gather others' opinions to carve out your own legend."

Thank you all for taking the time to read this article. I hope you enjoyed it.

I look forward to hearing your comments and thoughts on this topic.

In the coming week, we will discuss an extremely important matter – how to deal with a wrong decision. Stay tuned.

Hazim khaswneh