How Humility and Clarity Can Equip Leaders to Make Better Decisions

As a trucking industry executive, lay elder, and teaching team pastor, I am constantly being asked to consider, weigh-in on, think about, or give input on a wide array of topics. Countless hours of my week are spent in meetings or in one on one conversations with people seeking advice or solutions about various problems or opportunities. In any one day, it could range from decisions on finances, sales, human resources, inventory control, systems, the bible, spirituality, or processes. There is no possible way to make the right decision one hundred percent of the time. Life is full of too many complexities. Nonetheless, effective leadership is marked by consistently making sound judgments and being a source of wisdom and guidance in times of complexity. From my experience, two qualities stand out as essential for enhancing decision-making: clarity and humility.

Clarity

When it comes to understanding complex problems, listening is a superpower. I was taught early on in sales that I have two ears and one mouth and I should apply the former more than the latter. The same applies to decision making. Many times the surface level problem that individuals or teams are starting to "feel" is indicative of a much deeper problem within the organization. Taking time to fully listen to the team and understand all aspects of the problem or situation is crucial to bringing clarity to the actual problem. Some fear listening to understand can lead to analysis paralysis. It doesn't need to. Often, gaining clarity can actually speed up the implementation of a solution because you have better odds of making the right decision the first time.

Humility

Humility is also a superpower when it comes to making good decisions. Many inexperienced leaders want to immediately pontificate about potential solutions to problems hoping to validate or lend credibility to their position. Experienced leaders understand the bad decisions made in the past were a result of blind spots. Information they didn't have but needed to make a better decision. Clarity is key and then humility closely follows. Said better by Admired Leadership, "what they need to know that they don’t know allows decision-makers to find the exact answers and information they need most."

Experienced leaders understand the bad decisions made in the past were a result of blind spots.

Some of the best leadership advice I take in weekly is from the Admired Leadership Field Notes . This blog is not sponsored in any way by Admired Leadership. I am just passing along a strong leadership resource in the hopes it makes you a better leader in the future. Enjoy!