Decisions Are an Important Part of Everyday

Decisions are an important part of everyday life, organizations, and particular of leadership goals and behaviors. We know that managers and leaders are not the same, and true leadership roles are often expressed by the mastery of being able to overcome some of the basic issues of poor decision making.

Failing to remember goals -- The old maxim of measure for success fits with the idea of goal setting. If one sets goals, keeps monitoring those goals, and then reassesses the goals, one will have an easier chance of success. Goals should always be in place and everyone in the organization should, in theory, have combined tactical goals that fit the organization's strategic goals.

Overconfidence -- There is a fine line between overconfidence and being confident. Overconfidence often implies a degree of arrogance that causes one to be egotistical and self-centered and not listen to others or see the reality of the project. Fearlessness is a far cry from being confident on one's ability to overcome adversity. Overconfidence is an exaggeration of confidence and usually manifests itself in inflexibility and poor planning.

Complexity of the Issues -- Oftentimes there are so many multiple horizontal priorities that it is seemingly impossible to understand all the issues present in a project or task. Keeping strategic and tactical goals, honing the problem into its most basic form, then adding more and more material, is the best way to success in complex tasks.

Part 2 -- There are many ways to resist the urge to act unethically in an organizational setting.

Find Win-Win solutions -- In most situations, one can find a way to make the outcome win-win for all. This requires giving up on both sides, of compromise, and above all, of communication and empathy.

Buying Time -- Often, unethical decisions are made at the heat of the moment without adequate forethought. Then, upon reflection, one can find that there may be an alternative path towards a win-win solution. Too, time and more information can add a degree of logic to any situation, and usually, when a decision has an ethical bent, more time and consideration improve options.

Prepare for job loss -- There are times, though, that one's principles must take precedent and one must be prepared to draw the line at certain behaviors. If one cannot find a way to mentor or discuss the situation, and one's personal belief system is challenged, one must be prepared to take the moral high-road and potentially lose one's job rather than acting in an unethical manner.

Part 3 -- Leadership is more than a title, it is using principles of morality and ethics to convince others of the right path.

Reinforce Ethical Behavior -- One must walk the talk in order for others to understand and be willing to follow. Modeling and reinforcing ethical behavior by example is one of the clearest leadership roles one can take. Leading by example shows others that there are situations in life in which choices must be made -- and taking the ethical choice by example provides both wisdom and belief in others.

Connect Ethical Behavior with Stakeholder's best interests -- This goes along with a win-win scenario. If stakeholder's see that decisions made in an ethical manner will ultimately benefit all, then they are more likely to agree with ethical positions. A good leader can convince stakeholders that the easy path is not always the right path, but instead, one can do the right thing and in the long-term, benefit the most.