Recently ran into a situation where as a leader I had to make a number of very difficult decisions..
While making each of those decisions, I tried to remain completely objective and did my best to rationalize my choices with hard facts and supporting data.
I knew there would be some sort of pushback and of course, there was. 😅
The first person called me and explained why they felt I made a wrong choice and then proceeded to list all of the reasons… They made some compelling points and I then made the decision to deviate from the original plan and include what this person had proposed.
The second person that was unhappy decided not to call but went full send written communication attack mode… There was zero data supporting their over emotional argument and this person completely lost me with an F bomb tirade and immature insults.
A few lessons learned from these experiences…
#1 – Speak up – If you don’t agree with a decision, SAY SOMETHING. This does not mean we will always get our way but it does mean we will at least be heard. When we are able to present our case in a respectful manner, its effectiveness will be powerful and oftentimes even change the course of actions.
#2 – Listen to ALL sides – If you are in a position of power, make sure to listen to people that DO NOT agree with you… So long as we keep an open mind and our egos on the sideline, the ability to adjust and adapt our decisions is what will inevitably put the organization in the best position to succeed.
#3 – If we wouldn’t say it, don’t write it – Studies have shown that 80% of us have the balls to write it but don’t have the balls to say it… It’s a good idea when writing anything to ask ourselves if we would actually say the exact same thing. When I read the Daily Hustle for the podcast, I will often change words in mid sentence because I wrote something I simply would not say.
At some point in our lives, all of us will be in some sort of position of leadership and we will have to make very difficult decisions… We will also be on the other side of the decision making process where we will have little influence on the choices made despite the fact that those choices may directly affect us… Regardless, all we can do is keep deciding, keep listening & keep learning along the way…
With every tough choice we will ever be involved with come tough lessons that inevitably will create tough people. 👊
-EB
P.S. Have you hopped on a Team GoHard Foot Reflexology Board yet?
