WHEN DECISIONS WHISPER -“DO OR DIE”

I always fondly recall the story of the hungry donkey which walked towards the market. It saw on one side a huge heap of carrots and was so delighted that it will have a day of feast and started salivating until it saw on the other side a huge heap of cabbage. “wow” it shouted “I have always preferred cabbages over carrots”. It indeed had a problem of choosing which one to eat first. The poor animal sat between the two heaps and started thinking about taking a right decision and did so till it died out of hunger! 

Decision making is indeed both an art and science. It involves several faculties of mind and heart that need to synergize, wherever and whenever necessary; or act independently wherever and whenever their uniqueness needs to be displayed. Though several researches and studies have been done on this subject, it is always like swimming while in the pond rather than studying about it from the banks. Oftentimes, it calls for a sensible integration with common sense keeping aside all the philosophies that govern this process.

Taking decision of a routine nature is more a managerial exercise and doesn’t need elements of leadership. However, leadership always finds itself in critical moments when you have to take ‘right’ decisions – and the term ‘right’ is often debatable and questionable. It needs a lot of guts for leader to take such decisions and stand by them, justify them, push them ahead and ensure the execution of such decisions.

Taking decisions during a crisis indeed involves a challenge; and the decisions whispering into your ears ‘do or die’! This is the occasion when the leader has to organize several of his intellectual, emotional, strategic and pragmatic understanding of the situation and the context in which such decisions are taken.  Here are a few patterns of challenges:

1.   You are aware that a battalion is waiting to question you, scoff at you and criticize you whatever the decision be – They have an intent of resisting your decision.

2.   You are aware that the decision could impact a part of a system which has already been conditioned by some principles and practices and the beneficiaries of the system are being deprived of the benefits of such provisions – They provide a logical resistance to your decision.

3.   You are aware that the decision you are taking is a radical one that questions the philosophy or the organics of a culture that is prevalent and the conformists feel challenged – they call you a ‘black horse’ who is an intervention to a ‘puritan’ atmosphere.

4.   You are aware that the decision you are taking could make the existing system a bit fluid for a given period of time and hence a few members of the system are likely to create ripples in the fluid for their own advantage to weaken the success of the system – the ‘mediocre’ elements in the system intend to create ‘nuisance’ in implementation for continuing their mediocrity for a longer time.

5.   You are aware that spirit and the intent of your decisions are conveyed in advance by some ‘black sheep” who intend to misinterpret them to the larger audience just to defeat you – they have a hidden agenda of sneaking into the leadership platforms without permission.

6.   You are aware that you stand before a public domain and media that builds imaginary stories on your decisions, many of which you had not even dreamt and they play a drama for their own TRPs – they have nothing to do with you or your decision, but proclaim themselves as harbingers of peace, but creating and enjoying chaos and disorder.

7.   You are aware that there is a sword hanging on your head forcing you to take a decision and a senior leadership is passing on their agenda to you to take an undesirable and painful decision – they intend to reap selfish benefits through some decisions to whom you are not emotionally wedded, but expected to deliver for you are paid to do that job – they intend to make you a ‘Scapegoat’ and enjoy the benefits of such decisions.

8.   You are aware that your decision is politically and socially sensitive and hence you are likely to face an ‘emotional outburst’ and hence have to keep your wits sharp to face them with courage, conviction and confidence – You will find that all those who had been party to make this joint decision are not found in your operating universe, and thus you find you are in a “No man’s land” facing a host of crocodiles!

Well, Crises often come unsought for. Sometimes, they are by-products of disruptions of one kind or the other. Sometimes crises are created through human conflicts driven by personal and group interests seeking a larger identity. Crises could also happen due to fluctuating market conditions challenging continuation of the existing operations. Crises could knock at your door through major changes in policy decisions at the governance level. They are also the outcomes of certain bad decisions. Lack of vision and foresight could land any organization in a crisis.

Decision making during times of crisis, calls for exemplary qualities of leadership. It provides you an experience without a precedence. You will find a number of people telling you “you shouldn’t have done that; that is not a right decision; if I would have been in your place, I would not have rushed through this decision’; your experience is not getting reflected in your decision; You have not understood the situation properly; You need a mature mind to take such decisions… “The list will go on.

And therefore decide, my dear leader, what would you do… Take a decision!