Even the most talented and well-regarded leaders can be indecisive. Leadership coaching can facilitate the process of making wise decisions. You should base your decision on your inner values. You should be able to make quick decisions if you know your values and understand them.
Indecisiveness is a hallmark of poor leadership. It hurts an organization on every level. It disengages employees, ruins morale, and causes frustration among leaders. In theory, we’re all quick to judge indecisiveness as the product of a weak mind. However, there’s more behind leadership dithering, and it’s easy to fall victim to this leadership vice.
Indecisiveness: Why It’s Tricky
There are many variables to consider when leaders are faced with nuanced decisions. Choices that are black-and-white don’t reveal indecision. A leader’s exhaustion and frustration usually result from careful and tedious deliberation.
It is possible for a leader to recognize that a supplier charges too much and raises the organization’s rates above the market. However, the organization has enjoyed a long relationship with that supplier, and trust exists between the parties. To retain a trusted partner, the leader must weigh the cost of losing competitiveness against the benefits of retaining an organization’s reputation.
A decision may be influenced by emotions as well, but emotional decision-making leads nowhere in the long run.
Leadership Indecisiveness and its Consequences
Leadership indecisiveness has dire consequences regardless of its rationalization or source. Many executive coaches believe that indecision is a decision in and of itself. It costs a lot for indecisive leaders to choose inaction over action.
Whenever an organization has a significant problem, people are aware of it. The problem needs to be analyzed, a plan created, and it needs to be addressed by their leaders.
By not taking action, leaders send reports the message that they don’t care about such issues. Therefore, if their leaders do not care, their employees will also lose interest.
In the long run, dithering creates a lot of damage. Lack of leadership results in employees losing confidence in their leaders.
In the absence of leadership, circumstances will make decisions for the organization. Setting organizational directions based on circumstances is a recipe for failure. The following are characteristics of indecisive leaders:
- Insufficient information
- Clarity is lacking.
- Unconfident
- Consensus could not be reached
Overcoming Indecesiveness
Coaching for leadership focuses on decision-making psychology. It is possible for leaders to adopt a no-compromise attitude towards decisions with the help of a skilled executive coach. They engage in problem-solving when they identify problems. Postponing decisions and leaving problems simmering would be a compromise in this case.
It is effective to combat indecisiveness by making a decision immediately or setting a firm deadline. A smart decision now is better than a wise decision ten minutes from now, as the saying suggests.
Leadership coaching can help leaders develop gut instincts so they can make better decisions on the spot.
What Makes You Quick to Make Decisions
You must have a strong inner core in order to make quick decisions. Regardless of who you are or what you believe about yourself, your inner core is built up of your values. Developing your self-awareness through leadership coaching can help you understand and actively shape your values. Making decisions is easier when you see your values and pair them with intentionality.
Keep your values in mind when making decisions. Consider different approaches when they don’t.
Decisions are shaped by your motives
When leaders have self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and a thorough understanding of their organizations, they can make decisions that prioritize the interests of employees and organizations.
It is possible to gain a deeper understanding of the interests of your organization through business coaching.
Your values may be reflected in these interests. This allows you to avoid political decisions or decisions based on petty motives like revenge or popularity.
Indecisiveness is a glaring leadership weakness, and it’s easy to condemn. Leadership coaching can help you do something about it.
For more information on leadership coaching and training, please reach out to IL Movement today.