As a leader, you’ll often face choices where there is no clear right or wrong answer, no obvious best or worst option.
We call these dilemmas. And not all dilemmas are the same.
The best kind of dilemma is when you have multiple good options, and you want to choose the one that’s the most good. Engineers in particular can often find themselves paralyzed, endlessly gathering data to make the best possible decision. But at some point, the delay in choosing starts to eat into the benefit of all of the options. When that’s the case, I love what someone once told me. He said, “Steve, sometimes it doesn’t matter what you choose; what matters is THAT you choose.” Set yourself a deadline, collect whatever data you need, and when the deadline rolls around, make a choice and move on.
The other kind of dilemma isn’t quite so simple. This is when the only options seem to be bad options.
Many times, these are false dilemmas. There really is an ideal choice, but it will take some creativity, some brainstorming, and maybe some courage to find the answer. Expanding your thinking and opening your mind to new awareness and insights are common reasons people work with professional coaches like me.
But sometimes, deadlines come for these decisions, too, and you haven’t found the creative third option. It’s moments like these that call on you to be a true leader.
When none of your options seem good, you’ll need to have a clear understanding of your personal mission, your purpose, and your values as well as those of your organization. Guided by those principles, you can make a hard decision even when other people may not understand or accept it.
And if you’d like help to find a creative third option or to uncover your mission, purpose, and values to help with those tough decisions, let’s talk. Visit https://stevedwire.com/connect for a complimentary conversation to expand and clarify your thinking.
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