Leading With Emotional Courage

CHAPTER 45MAKE A DECISION: ACT BOLDLY TO GET MOVING

I perused the restaurant menu for several minutes, struggling with indecision, each item tempting me in a different way.

Maybe I should order them all…

Is this a silly decision not deserving deliberation? Maybe. But I bet you've been there – if not about food, then about something else.

We spend an inordinate amount of time, and a tremendous amount of energy, making choices between equally attractive options in everyday situations. The problem is that, although they may be equally attractive, they are also differently attractive, with trade-offs that require compromise. Even when deciding between kale salad (healthy and light), salmon (to stave off hunger), and ravioli (tasty, but high carbs).

If these mundane decisions drag on our time and energy, think about the bigger ones we need to make in organizations all the time. Which products should we pursue and which should we kill? Who should I hire or fire? Should I initiate that difficult conversation?

These questions are followed by an infinite number of other questions. If I am going to have that difficult conversation, when should I do it? And how should I start? Should I call them or see them in person or email them? Should I do it publicly or in private? How much information should I share? And on and on…

So how can we handle decisions of all kinds more efficiently? I have three methods that I use, the first two of which I talk about in my book, Four Seconds, and the ...