As leaders, decisiveness is important. The ability to make decisions quickly and effectively makes a difference on a daily basis. Decisiveness comes from confidence, and breeds confidence, but that can be hard to come by when we are uncertain about the outcome.
The challenge is, as much as we’d like to be (and sometimes think we are), we can never be certain. Life is uncertain, it always has been and we can thank 2020 for exposing this eternal truth.
Making decisions for our teams in times of uncertainty is incredibly difficult. Deep down inside we want to be certain. And we’re often influenced as strongly by what’s going on inside of us as what’s going on in front of us. If we’re not careful, our desire for certainty can convince us that the path is far more clear than it actually is.
The choices we must make are often easy on paper, but people don’t live on paper. And there is nothing easy about any decision that includes peoples’ lives and livelihoods. It’s a leadership crucible, and one that is not to be taken lightly. We want to feel like we’re making the right call.
Whether facing a decision about a program, a product, or our people, certainty lurks as a trap in our thinking. As a smart, capable leader, it will feel easy at times to be certain about the facts of the matter or the right way to proceed based on your instinct and observation - and that is exactly the moment where caution is warranted, in business and in life.
Simply stated, we would all do well to look very closely at the number of things that we are certain about. If we find ourselves certain about everything, we’re probably in trouble. When we lose our willingness to examine and explore, we stunt our growth and inhibit our ability to make sound decisions.
Instead, we recommend taking up a posture of curiosity, which will ultimately lead to a far superior alternative to certainty: confidence.
Photo Credit: @isaiahrustad via Unsplash
Be curious, not judgmental – Walt Whitman
Confidence comes from doing the work over time and learning from every opportunity we can - every bump and bruise, every hilltop and victory. All of them have something to offer us if we are willing to suspend judgement and be curious in our reflection.
Curiosity allows us to proceed without judgement. It helps us to continue seeing the world as it is, not as we predict, or as we hope it to be. It keeps us open to signals that there may be pitfalls, or opportunities ahead.
Curiosity in decision making invites us to collect more information and screen it against what we suspect, a process called corroboration. Corroboration is used heavily in the Special Operations community. It means to confirm a given theory, which is critical when intelligence is coming in from a variety of sources. Confirming (or denying) theories, opinions, and information allows leaders to understand their situation to the best of their abilities, in order to make decisions confidently.
Curiosity in relationships allows us to communicate for understanding. When we are certain about what people in our lives think, we are in real trouble. We cannot read minds. Body language, yes, but minds...not so much. So when we are certain what someone thinks of us, we’ve judged them by proxy, leading to big problems, oftentimes with those we care about the most.
Curiosity requires the extra work, a challenge when time is of the essence. But the extra effort allows us to discern the path of wisdom. And wisdom is something that we could all use more of in this world.
Photo credit: @garybpt via Unsplash
When I was a younger leader, I was so certain about everything. I knew everything, I could predict everything, I could control everything...until I couldn’t. I woke up one day to the world around me and realized the error of my rigidity, while sitting with the consequences of my certainty.
Today, I can count on one hand the number of things in life I am certain about. Thanks be to God! But those few truths are enough to give me the confidence to navigate the uncertainty of life and leadership.
As you approach your leadership practice today, here are a few questions to consider:
What am I certain about?
How do I know? What is the evidence that confirms this?
What situation that I am presently confronted with requires more curiosity?
Which of my relationships could use a little more curiosity?
Who can I trust to gain more information?
Taking the extra time to examine your situation can illuminate new options. It also affords us the opportunity to deal with factors and emotions inside of us that may be clouding our judgement. If we can surrender our false sense of certainty, and exchange it for a posture of curiosity, we will find the path to wisdom and lead with decisiveness and confidence.
And as we recognize how uncertain life is, it’s ok for us as leaders to say, “I’m not sure.” That phrase will definitely lead you to more truths in life than, “I know!”
Cover photo credit @rahabikhan via Unsplash