Where have all the Real Leaders Gone
Posted in Interesting fact about leadership.
The higher you go in an organization
the quicker you will have to make decisions
the less information you will have to make that decision
and the greater the impact of that decision will be?
Did you know that according to a Gallup Organization Study,
“More than 2/3 of the people who quit their jobs do so because
of ineffective managers.”
Did you know that one of the leading problems with
ineffective managers is their inability to make decisions?
Did you know that our teams inability to make decisions comes
directly from our inability to teach others how to make
decisions?
As a leaders are you building the leadership skills of those
you are responsible for?
As a business leaders are you developing the decision
making skills of your team?
As a parent are you developing the decision making skills
of your children.
As a friend, are you developing the decision making skills
of your friends who lack them?
Did you know that the #1 Characteristic of a good leader
according to John Maxwell in his book, Talent Is Not Enough,
“The ability of make things happen”.
How are you doing?
I was very lucky in my own development because I had
the opportunity to work with people who knew what real
leadership was. Who were willing to let me fall flat on
my face. I was taught that in many cases you just have
to make a decision. If you make the wrong decision,
then you can always make another one. If you can’t
make the first decision, you will never move forward
and neither will anyone you are responsible for.
It was the day of my review. I had been a manage a
few months now and knew I was doing great.
Walked with that confidence into my boss’s office.
Sat down and learned that I had a problem. Even
though I thought I was good I was not. It seems
I was always looking for someone else to make my
decisions for me. Always looking for more
information, more time. Always wanting to push
off the responsibility for the outcome to someone
else. My manager taught me a very important
lesson that day that I never forgot. You as the
leader have to make decisions to move the ship
forward. You have to do it. So make a decision.
If you are wrong, then make a decision to correct
the problem. But stop just sitting there. Make a
decision will you please.
Do you feel backed against a wall because you
have to make a decision and you just don’t feel
you have enough time. Deal with it. The time is
up. The decision has to be made, so make it.
Do you feel backed against the well because you
just don’t have enough information. You want to
make the decision but if only you could have just
one more piece of information. Just one more.
You cannot have any more information, Now
you have to make the decision based on what you
have and you have to make it now. So do it.
Finally, the impact. You are now responsible
for so many people’s lives that you hesitate
on making the decision. You hesitate because
you know the decision will impact so many.
Still, you have to make it and you have to make
it now and you have to deal with it.
People respect strength in leaders who do what
has to be done. I did not say they always like it,
just said they respect it. If you want to win a
popularity contest, try something other than
leadership. The inability to make timely
decisions is a weakness when it comes to leadership.
You see, most times it is worse not make a
decision. Face it. You have to do it.
Face the fact, you have to make the decision
quicker, with less information than you want
and you have to live and deal with the impact.
That is all part of being a leader.
Are you ready to step up or are you just going to
stay where you are/
Are you going to be a leader and guide the ship,
or just think about it.
Real leaders make decisions and teach other how to do it.
So start today.
Make a decision will you.
First decision is that you are going to start making
decisions quicker.
The impact will be amazing.
