The Sunday Mail
Women in Leadership Maggie Mzumara
Have you ever had a leader who could not make up their mind? One who asked team members what they thought, but never actually gave his or her own conclusion?
Or one who always second-guesses themselves and flip flops like a burger being repeatedly turned over by a new intern in a fast-food outlet?
All the above can be highly frustrating to the led.
Male or female, a leader should demonstrate decisiveness.
In fact, decisiveness is one of the key must-have skills for leaders — no two ways about it.
According to leadership expert Lolly Daskal, below are the key hallmarks of decisive leaders:
Decisive leaders are quick to decide and slow to change their mind.
Decisiveness does not mean being stubborn, arrogant or hasty — it is simply the ability to decide with speed and clarity.
The most decisive leaders have a gift of making up their mind quickly and changing it very slowly.
They trust their instincts because they are backed by a solid base of experience and knowledge, and they commit to riding the wave of their decisions.
Decisive leaders do what they say they will do.
They are responsible and accountable. A big part of decisive leadership is understanding that you are committed to the words you say and the actions needed to carry them out.
Decisive leaders are confident. They couch every message in clarity and confidence.
That self-assurance makes it unlikely that others will second-guess their decisions.
On the contrary, it builds more confidence and trust.
Decisive leaders are trusted.
It is human nature to gravitate toward decisive leaders and trust them, especially leaders who consider the impact of their decisions on others.
Decisive leaders are bold.
Indecision itself is the root of much fear, stress and worry.
By being less fearful we are more likely to take calculated risks.
And making powerful decisions helps overcome fears, setting up a positive feedback loop.
Learn to make decisions even in the face of uncertainty — this will make all the difference.
Gather the best information possible, give it some honest, objective thought, then go ahead and decide which way to proceed.
Decisive leaders are great learners.
Even the best leaders sometimes make wrong decisions.
But when they do, they treat it as a lesson and they rarely repeat the same mistake.
The thing a decisive leader hates more than anything is to sit by and let things happen.
They like to be in control of their destiny.
Decisive leaders create a systematic mental order.
They understand that decisiveness is a state of mind best created through mental clarity.
They evaluate their options, decide on a plan of action and then stick to it.
One of the best ways to become more decisive is to develop a system of thinking through things.
Like so much of leadership, the ability to make a decision and stick to it is one you can develop.
And when you do, you will be well on your way to accomplishing great things through your leadership.
◆ Maggie Mzumara is a leadership, communication and media strategist as well as corporate trainer. She advocates women leadership and is founder of Success in Stilettos (SiS) Seminar Series, a leadership development platform for women. Contact her on [email protected] or follow on Twitter @magsmzumara
