Decisiveness as a competence for result-oriented leadership.
How to make decisions like a real leader.
"You decide, you're the leader." Is this a remark you regularly hear from your employees? Well, they're right. Partly right. You don't have to decide everything yourself. Read on if you want to know when and how to make the right decisions.
How you recognize decisive leaders
Whether you like it or not, employees look at their manager to make and communicate certain decisions. Fulfilling that expectation at the right time can be very rewarding. Because making the right decision at the right time affects your results and creates credibility in your relationships.
How do you recognise decision-making leaders? They...
- Do not hesitate, without being too impulsive.
- Dare to share their opinions and points of view.
- Intervene quickly in case of acute problems.
- Take decisions that promote efficiency and effectiveness of departments.
- Take decisions that determine the future of the company. Think of a merger or takeover, etc.
The challenge of making decisions
Making organisational decisions isn't always a matter of course. There are often many obstacles on the road that make it difficult to draw conclusions..
For example, the focus on maintaining harmony in the team can prevent you from daring to make a decision, because you don't want to bump into anyone. Or, it can also be the case that employees are given too much autonomy, as a result of which they really want to have a say in everything. As a result, many things remain unchanged slowing down growth. A third reason is that leaders overrule the autonomy they once gave their employees because they still want to have the right to decide.
8 issues strengthening decision-making
How, then, do you ensure that decisions are taken? It all starts with paying more attention to your team and daring to grant autonomy. It opens space to focus on the future instead of everyday concerns.
Do you want to give your employees more autonomy? Then it is important that you:
- Always keep the end goal in mind and be able to determine which matters are operational, tactical or strategic.
- Be able to mobilise energy with a view to that endpoint and not on impulsive moods.
- Make it clear to your team what they can decide.
- Proactively assess risks.
- Learn your team to take into account different points of view before making decisions and to argue about them in a professional manner. This is what you do as well!
- Develop the conceptual and contextual ability so that your employees can determine what is urgent versus important.
- Demonstrate why a well-considered decision can only be made if sufficient information is available.
- Take ownership as critical succes factor of decision-making power. Walk the talk!
Learning to make decisions thanks to Lego® Serious Play®
Certain topics remain difficult to decide? Then a workshop with Lego® Serious Play® can certainly help out. We use the techniques of Lego® Serious Play® to strengthen team building and adopt agility, which make it easier to take decisions on the shop floor.
