Today I’m going to go out on a limb. I do not know if this is a solid leadership principle, or just something that’s true in my life, but here we go.
Sometimes, the why behind a decision carries more weight than the what.
I do not believe in doing things just for the sake of doing something. Instead, I try to think through reasons and make the best choice moving forward.
In the same way, a well thought out reason for doing something, even if I don’t agree with it, speaks to me more than a blind mandate.
The principle is simple: think about what you’re doing, don’t just do it. This does not negate reflexes or instincts, but it means count the cost. You will not be able to foresee every possibility, but having a solid reason to answer the “why” question is a necessity.
As a leader, I want those I lead to know I have put thought into an idea, a thought, a program, or whatever else.
Now, I want to hear from you! Do you agree or disagree? Do you perform better when you know thought has been put into a decision? Comment below and let me know.
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I’ve noticed that when I start something new I’ll think through it & make sure it meets the purpose of our ministry. But reevaluation seems to be a weakness. In fact I think habits often turn into blind spots & I don’t even realize that things are stagenent for a while.
I agree. Often times it’s easy to get so far into something that we lose sight of the why. The challenge is one of self awareness–realizing you don’t think about reevaluation, and then making it a priority.
I have a few times in different roles, evaluated after a few years. I love asking the questions “is this still working?” and “if not, then what next?”. Not that I have it all figured out, because I don’t.
Thanks for the thoughts!