Make decisions…the ones that need to be made

Posted by on Jul 24, 2012 in Leadership | 2 comments

It was hot in July and there was no air conditioning. The meetings took place weekly, but this one was different.  The leader of the group got up and read a document that he had prepared before the meeting and then asked the group what they should do about it.  The group was shocked by the scope of change that was proposed.  Of the seven that were there, only two stated that they would support it.  The rest either outright opposed it or thought it was not in the best interest of the group.  The debate lasted a couple of hours.  At the conclusion of the meeting President Lincoln thanked his cabinet, but had already decided to go forward with the Emancipation Proclamation.

If President Lincoln had followed what the group had recommended, many people would not have the freedom that we all enjoy today and I suspect that the Civil War would not have gone as it did.  Instead, President Lincoln set in motion a new course for a nation and an example for the world.  There are times when a leader must make decisions that are contrary to the popular thinking at the time.  It is by leading that the leader makes all the difference in the world.  I can’t tell you when you should make decisions that are not popular, but I can tell you that they will most likely come from the heart or gut and will “feel” like the “right” thing to do.  They may not always work out, but only by leading the group into territories that are not currently being explored do we learn and grow.

Make decisions…the ones that need to be made.

2 Comments

  1. Pursuit of a direction should allow review and comment with reasons why. Prior to being implemented create a focused plan of measurable milestone targets of achieved to date. Clear communications are essential to define what, when, where, how, why and who responsibilities. Timely monitoring of ongoing status with review and approval including all changes is the key to a successful implementation of the proposed.

  2. You don’t need to be the ‘official’ leader to challenge a stance / policy / procedure. Dare to disagree, you’ll be surprised at how many people around you were probably thinking the same thing but elected not to say anything for fear of …… (fill in the blank).

Leave a Reply to William Elam Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *