Tuesday, November 28, 2006

The Hard Decisions

Last evening my 17 year-old son and I watched a program on Leadership delivered by speaker, Chris Widener. He recommended that leaders make hard decisions quickly so that if you make the wrong decision you have more time to fix it and if you make the right decision you have more time to implement it. As my son and I discussed that, we realized a key contribution to our most heated conflicts-- he likes to make quick decisions which I always felt were impulsive and I like to analyze the details and make the right decision the first time which he felt was my procrastinating so I could hold him back.
During the conversation I did realize that I have a fear of making the wrong decision. I have an underlying need to be RIGHT! And so I put off a decision until it is certain to be the right one. The freedom to make the wrong decision with time to correct it may be just what I need.
The best part was the look on my son's face when he learned that he had a quality of great leadership. He loved to 'make hard decisions quickly.' We both recognized that we had a different way to approach a decision and that somewhere in middle we could come together. He could give me a little more time to gather the facts and I could make a decision a little sooner even if it was wrong.

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