According to a 2017 Forbes study, among the top 500 world leaders interviewed, 98% of them failed to apply best practices when making decisions. Decision-making isn’t easy, but it’s the cornerstone of leadership. It’s the smart choices we make that drive true change throughout an organization.

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Reflect on how to make a decision

Learning how to make a decision is fundamental in developing and honing your leadership skills. Start by simply taking a moment to reflect.

Can you recall a time where you struggled making a decision?

Exercises to help you make a decision

Now, it's time to put your reflection into action. Finding opportunities to implement your leadership skills can allow you to make a decision.

  • Identify the factors in your decision. Ask yourself: “What do I know? What information do I have at hand? What information is missing? Who will this decision impact?”
  • Speak to other team members about your options. Set up a meeting to get feedback, brainstorm possible alternatives, and discuss tradeoffs.  
  • Document what was decided, those involved, and why they supported the decision once you’ve come to a conclusion. This will increase commitment and establish a basis to measure the results.

Additional resources to help you make a decision

Great Leaders Make Decisions, Then Take Action.
It’s easy to delay Rubicon decisions—meandering for weeks or even months—second guessing them from every possible angle, the whole while only postponing the inevitable and the dreaded discomfort we imagine.
Trever CartwrightForbes
Why New Leaders Should Make Decisions Slowly
Focus on the first year, not the first week.
Constance DierickxHarvard Business Review
Decision Disagreement Framework - How we encourage disagreements
How do you disagree with a decision that is not in the best interest of the company? As a leader, how do you enable your team to disagree in a productive way? Learn how with Matter’s Decision Disagreement Framework.
Brett HellmanLet's Grow Together | The Matter Blog

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