Decision-Making: 4 Aspects of Making Great Decisions [VIDEO]

Do you remember the Magic 8-Ball toy from when you were growing up? You ask it a question, shake it, and then it gives you the answer.

As a leader, don’t you wish you could have your own Magic 8-Ball? If you were dealing with a difficult situation, all you would have to do is shake it, and it would give you the perfect answer!

Well, we don’t live in that world. But we do know through research that there are four time-tested aspects of decision-making that leaders should focus on in order to make great decisions.

1. The environment you create.

The first aspect has to do with the environment you create. As leaders, we all create some kind of environment to make decisions. And we know from research that when an environment has safety (called psychological safety), leaders make better decisions. Researcher Dr. Daniel Goleman found that when leaders pull people together and create an environment that is safe, cohesive, and has good team dynamics, that group is more likely to make a better decision than when a leader makes a decision on his/her own.

2. The people you include.

The second aspect for making good decisions has to do with the people we include in the meetings to make that decision. For example, research shows that you want wise people, knowledgeable people, and people with expertise. And you don’t want toxic people.

Here’s an illustration of what happens when you have toxic people on a team. Picture a clear glass of water as your team – it is a great team, and it performs well. But you pour in a little bit of dirty water symbolizing a toxic person – someone who is backstabbing, has to know it all, is arrogant, and or doesn’t listen to others. When you bring them into the mix, all of a sudden, your whole team gets polluted.

So, if you want to make wise decisions, you have to pick your people carefully.

3. The humility you model.

The third aspect that is needed to make good decisions has to do with the humility you model. Humility allows us to listen to others and even to reverse course at times if we are on a direction that isn’t best.

A great illustration of this is when I was in a meeting with a client a number of years ago. They had almost finalized a decision to hire someone. But during the meeting, I realized they were not convinced about this decision. And after a period of conversation, they realized it too. By the end of that meeting, they realized they were not going to hire that person. That took a lot of humility to change their direction even though that was going to be a little bit embarrassing for them.

Wise leaders, good leaders, and leaders who make good decisions  are not afraid to show humility.

4. The courage you show.

Lastly, leaders who make good decisions show courage. When leaders face a tough decision, some will punt it and others will postpone it. But that is not a good long-term strategy for leadership. Leaders have to make decisions, and that takes courage.

I was recently reading about a trauma surgeon who was explaining what it is like to have a patient in crisis on an operating table. He said that in that situation, you have to look at a lot of information and take a lot of data into account, but eventually, you have to do something. You have to take action.

Peter Drucker said this, “Whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision.”

As a leader, how do you go about making good decisions?

Contact us to learn how our experienced coaches can help you to develop your leadership toolbox and make better decisions.

Jay Desko is the CEO of The Center Consulting Group and brings experience in the areas of organizational assessment, leadership coaching, decision-making, and strategic questioning. Jay’s degrees include an M.Ed. in Instructional Systems Design from Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Leadership from The Union Institute.