A study was conducted a number of years ago on decision-making. The researchers wanted to learn how the business leaders who rose to senior management made decisions – and then to contrast their decision-making style with people who had careers that stalled-out at mid-management levels.
The researchers first assumed that the top-tier leaders made better decisions and, as a percentage, made fewer bad decisions. But when they ran their data the first time, it was discovered that people in senior leadership made mistakes (bad decisions) about one-third of the time, which was exactly the same mistake percentage as mid-level managers.
Both senior managers and mid-level managers made poor decisions one-out-of-three times. As a percentage, there was no substantive difference.
So back to the data went the researchers: searching for another clue to the question, “Why are the people who rose to the top more successful in their decision-making?”
Finally the answer emerged. The researchers discovered that the men and women who rose to the top made three times as many decisions!
They did not make better decisions…they made more decisions.
It’s the law of averages…more decisions beats fewer decisions.
The people who rose to the top were more decisive. They went for it. They made more decisions more often. They were likely to get it right more often too. They had the courage to decide and to make another decision if the first one didn’t work out.
As Thomas Huxley said, “Make up your mind to act decidedly and take the consequences. No good is ever done in this world by hesitation.”
The lesson is simple. Be decisive. Make a decision. Make more decisions. Don’t stew in hesitation under the fear of getting it wrong. We will get it wrong; on average, one-third of the time, just like everyone else. So when we do get it wrong, just make another decision – or two decisions, or three. Quickly!
Now is the time to decide!
