“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the worst you can do is nothing.” This was great advice from Theodore Roosevelt. You might classify yourself as an analytical person because you cannot make decisions quickly. This classification couldn’t be farther from the truth. Those that are able to make quick decisions have quickly analyzed the situation in order to make decisive decisions in that moment.
The definition of a decisive action is “an action or actions done quickly and with confidence In emergency situations, one must be able to take decisive action.” Leaders have to be decisive in order to allow a successful company grow, proceed and produce. An undecisive leader will hold back a company with his fear to make a decision. Yes, FEAR is the culprit that holds humans back from making decision. A well know Christian song writer, Zach Williams, wrote a song that had in it’s lyrics “Fear is a liar.” Fear is not a human being, but it comes alive by the power us human beings give it. It is a powerful force we allow to live inside of us. Once we realize Fear is holding us back, then that’s when we react and say “enough” this cannot control me and my success. Combat fear with the question “what could be the worst situation if I make this decision?” In many instances you will find that making NO decisions is far worse than having made a decision.
When we don’t want to make a decision, is it because we want it to be perfect? Is perfect realistic, or is it a family member of fear? Perfect is only as real as we want to make it. Waiting for perfection, ruins the present moment because we continue to wait and live in the future. Why ruin our present moment when the present is the best and most perfect moment to make a decision. If you wait for tomorrow to make a decision you may lose opportunities. To me missed opportunities is far worse than a decision that did not pan out.
So how do we become decisive people with the ability to make decisions on a timely manner? Better yet, can this be learned? Yes it can be learned!
Let’s look at some steps in becoming a more decisive person.
- Don’t let Fear overcome you, You need to overcome fear. Ask yourself ‘what is the fear I have if I make this decision?” and “what is my fear if I can’t decide?” Don’t give power to something that is not real “FEAR”.
- Perfection does not exist. Yet missing on great opportunities does exist. Therefore, don’t over analyze. True leaders are never 100% certain their decision will succeed. So give yourself a break from trying to be perfect. Use bad decision results as great college lessons for learning. This is your “free” university platform.
- Empower yourself to be decisive. You are a leader and need to make decisions quickly. See yourself as a great leader, and thus have the power to make decisions. If the decisions turns out not as great as we wished, you exercised your rightful power to make that decision. No shame in trying. Yet, lots of shame in not trying.
- Practice the craft of deciding. Start with small steps every day and make simple decisions. This will build your confidence to make decision and to live with the not so great decisions. Remember failure is in not trying to make decisions.
- Analyze the outcome. When making a decision, keep it simple and analyze the “outcome.” What is the potential result if I make this decision? What if I do nothing at all? These two questions are powerful and sometimes more valuable than all the pondering and worksheet analysis you may do for days, weeks or months.
- Read biographies on your favorite leaders. Some were not born to be decisive leaders, they learned this decisive trait. They learned from other famous leaders. Read on Lincoln and his decisive leadership. His decisions were not popular in his times. He was very much criticized and mocked. How many times did Thomas Edison make a decision in his experiments and fail? In reality there was no failure in him making decisions. In his own words “I have not failed. I just found 10,000 ways that wont work”. Or another way of looking at it “The light bulb was an invention with 10,000 steps.” Apply this formula to your deciding moments and it will take the pressure off perfection.
It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped – and we all want to shape our own destinies. More than anything else, I believe it’s our decisions, not the conditions of our lives that determine our destiny.”–Tony Robbins
Nobody walks in your shoes. Your decisions are your own. Being decisive is the best that you can do for your life, career and personal growth. The worse decision is none! You are a leader, take ownership of your mind to make decisive actions!
Photo by Knuth Waltenberg on Unsplash