Establish a Council of Advisers

Every day, in all aspects of our lives, we are faced with decisions.  Some of these decisions have very little impact on others, like what color socks you choose to wear.  Sure, you would like them to match, yet it has no bearing on others' lives, nor on your influence as a leader.  Other decisions are very important, and their impact can be spread to many and be long lasting.

Consider these examples: taking a new job, relocating, getting married, approaching an employee or client with bad news, calling a teacher with your frustration, promoting someone, how to invest your money, and the list goes on.  Each of these decisions will have lasting effects, and they impact many others.  As you aspire to lead a great life, and bring the best out in others, you also need to ensure you are doing your best, and this means making the best decisions.

Leaders are naturally driven to act, to make decisions, to take charge of situations, and this is also one of our greatest weaknesses.  The leader that acts too quickly, or acts alone when it comes to these major decisions will ultimately find themselves learning from many mistakes.

The best decisions in life are made with the council of others.  In order to have their council, you need them to be engaged and aware of the situation.  This means, whether at work or at home, you need to selectively choose a management team.  This team needs to:

• Journey the path with you.  They need to work along side you, or share life experience with you.  You need this person to be someone that is familiar with the situation and with you.
• Be honest with you.  There is nothing worse than making a decision based on incomplete information, or not truthful advice.  You need to know that this group will be honest with you, nor matter how convicted you may be in your direction.  They are the final safety net to help you make the best decision possible.
• Care for you.  That may sound a bit warm and fuzzy for the workplace or organizational structures, yet if your most trusted team members do not truly care for you and your objectives, than they are not in a position to offer you advice.  
• Be small.  Advice of 2-5 is best when you are seeking council.  More than a small group will create problems, yet, as you can see from the list above, you cannot really have that many close, trusted advisers.

Take a honest look at those you have surrounded your life, your team, your business with.  Make a list of those that are definitely in your circle of advisers, those that could be and those that shouldn't be. Seek out those on the first list for the big decisions.

A final thought on this topic:  The concept of seeking advice and council from a trusted team is in no way abdicating your role as a leader and a decision maker.  The is not about taking a vote, or reaching consensus on every decision, rather, this is about your not acting hastily to avoid critical mistakes.  By the process of including advice from trusted advisers in your life, you are able to gather different views, perspectives and potential outcomes.  You slow down, which is so important when making big moves, because you wait to understand the many angles and opportunities in which to consider.

For each major decision you make, seek your team, wait for their response, and then act.  I promise you, the outcome will be far more fruitful then if you just "go-it" alone.

It is always personal

It is commonly accepted in the larger business world today to make decisions that are in the best interest of the business.  In the end, people will make the argument that the business only exists for itself and sometimes tough decisions need to be made.

Over my 20 year career, I have seen multiple rounds of "layoffs" within small, privately held companies, and within larger, publicly traded enterprises.  Even though one is more subject to the constant vibrations and emotions of Wall Street, both have goals to achieve and when they don't hit them, they look to cut costs (ie. people).

I remember a time when a pastor friend of mine talked about how the recession hit their church, and in a devastating way.  They not only lost frequent attenders, they had significant losses in the amount being given each weekend.  Eventually, the money was so tight that cuts had to be made, or they would no longer be able to survive as a church.  I am sure you have heard many business stories that are the same, whether in a small or large organization. 

The thought process to walk through to be a great leader is that you have a responsibility to those you shepherd.  You have a duty to those that are ultimately left in your care.  Therefore, I reject, and ask you to do the same, the phrase "it's not personal, it's just business."  See, for the people being let go, this is very personal.

The drive for wealth and hitting objectives sometimes has us lose sight of the fact that people's lives are directly impacted by those decisions.  I recognize that, and have spoken to the fact, that objectives need to be hit, profit needs to be made, and growth is a must.  Cutting people, though, isn't simply just business, it is personal to that individual.

I was let go from a position at a time in my life where my wife was dying from cancer.  We had two young boys at home and losing my job meant a loss of income and insurance.  The process was personal for me and my wife.  I have, unfortunately, let many people go over the years as well.  It isn't any fun on either side, yet I promise you that walking away without a job is painful.  Knowing that the company you worked with for years will go forward without you, is tough.  Knowing that you were cut to save money, and save others' jobs, is not always easy to take, personally.

Just remember, that when you make "business" decisions, the impact is personal.

Here are five quick tips to carrying out the business task, yet doing so that keeps the person in mind.

1. Have empathy for how they will feel and the impact this has on their lives
2. Speak to them, in tone and in words, as you would want to be spoken to
3. I know this will make HR folks shiver, yet you need to spend ample time with them, help them know you care, how hard it is, for you to do this, and that you wish them well...don't rush them out the door
4. Don't speak about other people, or other companies, or the economy, give them straight facts as to what the organization is doing and why
5. Look them in the eye, shake their hand, and thank them for what they did for you, they deserve to leave with integrity