The Decider-in-Chief

Photo by: Iván_Melenchón_Serrano
Photo by: Iván_Melenchón_Serrano

George W. Bush joked about being the “Decider-in-Chief”.

Being the chief executive or director means you are the final decision maker for your organization or company. This week I found myself reflecting on how challenging making a decision can be. For instance I think: How will my decision impact one group of people versus another? How much will it cost? Is there a cheaper, equally effective alternative? What are the legal risks? What have we done about this in the past? Can I live with the other person’s most negative response? Will a particular choice tie us down for the next several years? How much will it cost in a few years? And so on…

Ultimately a leader must settle on what is best for the entity the they lead.  Remember, there are no perfect decisions, just ones that are better thought through.