Decision making is the life blood of an effective leader. The surest validation of this point can be found in the chorus of laments from the unfortunate individuals who labor under so-called leaders who do not decide. “If only my boss could make a decision” the complaint usually goes, “we could move forward and get something done.”

These economic times are challenging for everyone. It is all too easy to get caught up in “analysis paralysis” based on the uncertainty in the marketplace. Has housing bottomed? Is there a looming commercial credit crisis? Will corporate profitability rebound in the third quarter? Will GDP growth turn positive? Is the consumer back? These and myriad other questions are valid. The are compelling arguments on both sides of each issue. You have only to tune in CNBC for evidence of such. It’s enough to make you want to chill out for a while and see what happens. But that would be a big mistake.

This looming uncertainty provides an excellent foundation on which to build a competitive advantage if you decide to seize the moment. And while a defensive posture is not bad in and of itself, it should not be seen as a substitute for thoughtful going-forward action. Playing defense has its time and place, but playing not to lose is usually a very bad idea.

Nowhere has this current uncertainty hit harder than in corporate America. The predominate action of the last several months for most businesses have been defensive and involve serial and deep job cuts. The decision to do so in response to the floor falling out of the market was an appropriate defensive strategy.

But now the market is turning and it’s time to decide a new direction. This will put pressure on the executives in the c-suite to make solid strategic decisions and align their organizations to implement them. If you aspire to such a role, the imperative is clear. Learn how to make quality decisions, as quickly as you can do so effectively. This is easier said than done.

We are emerging from this year of job cuts with a distinct thumbprint on the collective psyche of many employees. Keep your head down, it is reasoned, and it will not get shot off. Problem is, to make decisions require that you lift up your head and survey the landscape. If you can do so and discipline yourself to make timely and effective decisions you will enjoy a leg up on the competition.

Now, all you need to do is decide to lead.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 29th, 2009 at 10:55 am and is filed under Leadership. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.