The Leadership Trait Decisiveness

The Leadership Trait DecisivenessThere is nothing wrong with explaining sudden
 changes in a decision if you have time to but it
In our lives we are daily challenged to makeisn’t necessary. I have made instant decisions
important decisions. The people we are leadingcountless times with no intention of explaining why
depend on us as leaders to make proper decisionsand I have also made decisions where situations
allowing them to do their job.changed causing me to rethink my decision. If it
 was a major decision that impacted a lot of
It is amazing how long we remember leaders thatpeople I would use subordinate leaders to ensure
have made a poor or wrong decision. I canthe team understood why we decided to change.
remember in 1968 in the State Baseball Playoffs IWhat you can’t allow to happen is your team
was on third base with one out. A teammate hitconstantly inquiring why you changed your mind. If
a ball to right field; my coach told me to tag andyou are a strong leader that is respected then
run no stop, no go no stop. I had run 60 feetfew will ever wonder why decisions change.
back and forth listening to him and finally ran and 
was out at the plate. We fortunately won thatYou must display confidence in your decisions so
game but to this day I remember it like itthey are totally supported with out question.
happened today. That was a harmless situationThere will also be occasions when you will bring
where a leader couldn’t make a decision andyour leadership team together and ask their
stand by it.opinions. The bottom line is what ever your final
 decision is that when you walk out the door
In reality decisiveness is the ability to makeeveryone is in total support of your final decision
prompt decisions while ensuring they are clear andwhether they totally agreed or not.
understood. There will be times when you receive 
additional information that will cause you to change You will make numerous unpopular decisions in
a decision. The important thing is that your teamyour life, consider all the information you have
respects you as they realize you typically makethen make the one you feel has the greatest
excellent decisions and stand by them.possibility of success and stand by it.