Borrowed from Forbes and the Young Entrepreneur’s Council – their copyrights, not mine.
The ability to make decisions is one of the biggest reasons people are drawn toward entrepreneurship. Followers are often at the whim of others who may not be as capable as they are. Leaders don’t have to suffer on account of someone else’s bad choices. They make their own decisions. Anyone who has ever worked under ineffective management can vouch for how special that is. However, nothing is free. The gift of being able to decide comes with the price of having to decide.
Why Are People Indecisive?
When you work for someone else, it’s easy to complain about their bad decisions. You may marvel at how your boss made the wrong choice when the right one was clear as day. However, in their shoes, it may be difficult to make a decision at all. It’s easy to know what’s right when you have no liability. As decision makers, leaders put something at stake every time that they pick a way forward. That makes choosing scary. If a leader makes enough bad calls, the consequences may lead them to fear the risk that accompanies every choice that they make. In short, the reason that some leaders are stricken with indecisiveness is that they are afraid.
Why Is Indecisiveness Futile?
There is no way to escape the risk that entrepreneurs face. On the contrary, it’s important not to dodge risk but instead to confront it. As a leader, you cannot avoid making decisions. That’s because not making business decisions is a decision in and of itself. The difference is that you have control when you make your own choices. Indecisiveness entails letting decisions, and their accompanying consequences, be determined for you. Having choices made for you is often fine if you work for someone else. However, no company runs itself. As an entrepreneur, if you don’t take the wheel of your business, it will crash.
How To Decide – Begin with the End in Mind
If something doesn’t help you reach your objectives, then don’t do it.
Envision success. In order to make a decision, you need to know what outcome you want to create. Start by considering what goals you have. Then, use your expertise to determine what steps are most likely to lead toward those results. If something doesn’t help you reach your objectives, then don’t do it. Of course, if something actively leads you away from where you want to be, then it’s not even worth considering. However, pouring your resources into paths that neither lead to nor away from your ambitions means you’ll have fewer resources to pursue your dreams in the future. As a result, it’s important to always make your own choices and ensure that they actively work in your favor.
Entrepreneurship is competitive. If you aren’t willing to prioritize your business, then you’ll lose to someone who is. That’s why it’s important to apply this relentless pursuit of your goals to other areas of life, as well. If you spend your time on hobbies that don’t help your business grow, then decide to put them on hold. If you are surrounded by people who don’t support your ambitions, then decide to distance yourself from them. You cannot succeed with half measures. Again, if you won’t remain decisive and dedicated when facing the tough choices, you’ll be eclipsed by those who will.
Entrepreneurs don’t have the luxury of being indecisive. They must accept the consequences of their actions, whether positive or negative. As a result, leaders are able to enjoy unparalleled freedom and control over their professional lives. The power to choose means that entrepreneurs can steer their companies toward where they want them to be. Entrepreneurs must always confront and conquer the curse of indecisiveness. However, in doing so, they can enjoy the immense rewards that come from making their own decisions.
