As I’ve taken on more leadership positions, I’ve had to redefine my decision-making process to accommodate new challenges and find a balance between individual and group decisions. It has taken some practice, but I now feel my decisions are best when they are a product of groupthinking. When decisions are made by us as individuals, they can be an empowering exercise of autonomy. But leaders must make decisions based on input from their teams and organizations – these decisions are an entirely different beast. Here are some strategies I’ve used: Evaluate Decisions: Decision-making is a skill and like any other skill it must be honed, sharpened, and refined after each use. If you’re not evaluating the decisions made then nothing is learned from the decision. Upon completion of a project, ask teams to discuss which things they would do again and which things they would not. Reflecting on the decisions made and their results allows you to make better decisions during the next project. Accept Mistakes: Mistakes happen and they should be thought of as learning opportunities. A good leader knows when to be flexible enough to allow for the possibility of mistakes and what actions to take to move [...]
