By Tarunkumar Singhal, Raman Jokhakar, Chartered Accountants
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Strategic decisiveness is one of the most vital success attributes for leaders in every position and every industry, but few leaders understand where it comes from or how to find more of it. It is not surprising that picking one strategic direction and then decisively pursuing that direction are hallmarks of good leadership… The big mystery is why these obviously important skills are still rare enough to distinguish excellent leaders from average managers.
Psychologist Georges Potworowski at the University of Michigan found that certain personality traits —such as emotional stability, self-efficacy, social boldness and locus of control — predict why some people are naturally more decisive than others.
When faced with two equally attractive strategic options, timid, less emotionally stable leaders who fear upsetting anyone will let the debate drag on for weeks or months before selecting a compromised Frankenstein solution that both sides can merely tolerate.
More decisively-gifted managers make it clear from the beginning that they will carefully consider both sides of the argument, but will choose what they judge to be best for their team. They make the decision early on, and move quickly to enlist both sides in executing their decision. Some members of the team are not thrilled with the choice but are quietly pleased to finally have some clarity of direction… All of us have the potential to be decisive or indecisive.
(Source: Extracts from “Just Make a Decision Already” by Nick Tasler : The Economic Times dated 10-10-2013).
