The art of decision making must pervade through the entire organisation structure. Nowhere should it get either concentrated or constricted.
The art of decision making must pervade through the entire organisation structure. Nowhere should it get either concentrated or constricted. Anybody in a leadership position, ie in a supervisory position is expected to possess a minimum quantum of this ability to either acquire the position or get promoted into the position.
Reason and calm judgement, the qualities especially belonging to a leader (Tacitus). Possession of relevant and critical information is an essential prerequisite for a leader to decide. However, once having acquired the knowledge and information it is the leader’s ability to reduce ‘his decision’ in a manner that it is widely understood by the team, that is being led. In 1988 during the US Presidential elections, Daniel Bell, the sociologist remarked: leadership is a sense of judgement. It is a judgement as to what is relevant and how to do things. The result is either people, over simplify as Reagan did or you try to lean the other way become rather technocratic. So the person who can strike the right balance between the sense of complexity and the sense of judgement is increasingly rare and it seems to me that is a problem in every society.
This dilemma of decision making is summed up beautifully by Confucius, ‘while the advisors of a great leader should be cold as ice; the leader himself should have fire, a spark of madness.
All leaders whether in the corporate, political, religious or social sector are required to guide the entity or group in the right direction, for which purpose they must possess the ability to think and decide. The ability to decide is dependent on the ability to think. It is therefore vital for the leaders to be good thinkers too; where a leader lacks this ability, he must possess the sense to collect and surround himself, who would do so, ie, think.
Roy Thomson, a Canadian entrepreneur in his auto-biography, ‘After I was Sixty’ writes, ‘thinking is work’. In the early stages of a man’s career it is very hard work, when a difficult decision or problem arises, how easy it is after looking at it superficially to give up thinking about it. It is easy to put out from one’s mind. It is easy to decide that it is insoluble or that something will turn up to help us. Sloppy and inconclusive thinking becomes a habit. The more one does it, the more one is unfitted to think a problem through to a proper conclusion. He comments further, “if I have an advice to pass on as a successful man it is this: if one wants to be successful one must think; one must think until it hurts. One must worry a problem in one’s mind until it seems there cannot be another aspect of it that hasn’t been considered. Believe me that is hard work.” Now on the shop floor how many managers/leaders do we find who would take this pain and arduous approach to decision-making. Let it be amply clear that in doing so, the manager is not to allow himself the luxury of unlimited time to think, deliberate and then move – nay it must be done in quick time. To achieve decision making in quick time, a manager must possess a massive reservoir of thought from where he draws upon his own alternatives to conclude upon any matter of significance. To possess a reservoir of thoughts, I am reminded of what John Keats wrote in a letter, “the only means of strengthening one’s intellect is to make up one’s mind about nothing- to let the mind be a thoroughfare for all thoughts”. A manager/leader must not lose sight of the fact that it is his own conviction that compels him; that is choice compels choice.
To rush into action without proper debate is to invite trouble. All feasible alternatives must be fairly evaluated, prior to conclusion. Not to seek good advice and counsel is arrogance. And then those who do that find that there is a difference between Napoleon of Marengo and Napoleon of Moscow; victory and defeat. For a decision to be good, it must be preceded by healthy debate. As Shakespeare wrote, ‘rightly to be great, is not to stir without great argument.’
A decision by consensus does not in any way absolve the leader of his responsibility for the decision made. By the same token the dissenting minority, if any, are not winners either. Roared Cromwell, once in the parliament, “I am for consent as any man, but where shall it be found?” The pursuit of consensus in decision making could be a source of major impediment in decision making. Therefore, good and effective leaders also ‘decide’ against the tide, but remain extremely cognisant that the ‘responsibility’ of the outcome remains with them.
Following extensive consultations and debate, Gen Eisenhower took the decision for invasion despite inclement European weather. The decision ie result was bad. Eisenhower issued a press release, “our landings have failed and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack was based upon the best information available. The troops, the air and the navy did all that bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault is attached to the attempt it is mine alone”. That’s leadership and decision making!
Only an incompetent boss would blame his team and subordinates when things go wrong. Those who possess this kind of trait are timid. An excessive fear to decide and such fear is always powerless will likely to lead to a failed decision.
Leaders who don’t have it in them, especially those that are thrust into positions of authority generally oscillate like a pendulum when it comes to taking a firm decision. It is the characteristic excellence of the strong man that he can bring momentous issues to the fore and make a decision about them. I have come across many corporate leaders whose primary weakness was ‘indecisiveness’. The weak, unfortunately, are always forced to decide between alternatives they have not chosen. Inability to decide is akin to, between two stools, one sits on the ground.
Decision making ability draws upon the trait of boldness in leaders. As against ferocious animal kingdom where some are possessed of boldness naturally, men have to train for and acquire boldness. Even, despite his short stature, Napoleon learned boldness at war- in the field. A young boy, harmless to the core, through pointing a finger and taking bold steps comes to be recognised in the annals of history as ‘Ivan the terrible’. Boldness is visible and contagious and consequently a prerequisite for decision making abilities. “Nothing is more difficult and therefore more precious, than the ability to decide,” Napoleon Bonaparte.
Habitual indecision is the worst habit to possess. He became an infidel hesitating between two mosques, is a famous Turkish proverb. Many good managers succumb to the habit of procrastination. They live earnestly with the hope that any issue or problem will either solve by itself or will wither away with time. Only sometimes it does. But mostly it rises like a tidal wave and lashes violently on the shores of any organisation or for that matter any type of corporate entity.
Julius Caesar precipitated the war with Pompey when arriving at the river, ‘Rubicon’ he declared ‘the die is cast’. Fine and firm decision. All leaders must be courageous to cross, when required their own ‘Rubicon’.
Conviction strikes at fear and empowers authority to those who seek and possess it. Hesitation and reluctance are worst enemies of decision making- they create hollowness in management structures. Timidity and fear are meant for the hare and deer, not for leadership.
Decision making, backed with thinking and unflinching conviction, is always resolute.
The writer is a senior banker
