Being decisive is not only about making decisions rapidly; it is about modeling a positive and effective way of thinking and acting. It is about using the wisdom that you have accumulated during your career to create a process of decision making that consistently yields good results. It is about avoiding the agony and pain that comes along with being indecisive. It is about making the best decision possible and moving on to the next challenge, which helps you and your organization be more productive.

Be resolute

How can leaders accomplish this? I am glad you asked. To make the best decisions possible, evaluate and understand each option carefully while getting advice from the right people and sources to help you make your final decision. Sometimes you may even include your entire organization in the decision-making process, using the wisdom of the masses to plot a course forward. Once you have all of the information that you need, make the best decision possible.

Do not let indecisiveness paralyze you. Give yourself a deadline for making decisions and never deviate from it. Once you make your decision, stand by it, and remember that you can’t waver back and forth. That is only acceptable during the decision making process. Just have faith that you make the best possible choice with the information that was provided for you.

A little homework

Over the next month, whenever you have to make a decision, practice being resolute. This means weighing the possible approaches and outcomes and choosing the most desirable solution. After a decision has been made, don’t go back on it, unless there is new information that necessitates a different approach. After a month, what do you notice? You should notice that indecisiveness no longer paralyzes, and you don’t constantly go back and forth when making decisions. In the end, you will save yourself valuable time and avoid the stress that comes along with being indecisive.