Decisions Archives - All the Way Leadership Blog

A proven leadership tool to set clear priorities in the modern world

I am writing a blog series about becoming a strong leader in the post-pandemic world. Last December, I discussed how leaders can address the fact that many organizations have fewer people and resources to do the job. I declared that leaders must set clear priorities for success in the post-pandemic world. In this blog, I will share a proven leadership tool, the Eisenhower Decision Matrix, to set clear priorities in the demanding modern world. Some of you may already be aware of this tool, which is a good thing.

Setting priorities for leaders is not new

Leaders have too many tasks and never enough time to finish everything. This phenomenon is nothing new. Since the dawn of time, leaders have faced the age-old questions of what to focus on and how to invest their resources. Time is the most important a leader possesses. You cannot create more time. Leaders have to juggle many tasks, activities, crises, etc. The most successful leaders deal with this dilemma by setting clear priorities for their teams and themselves. One such leader is Dwight D. Eisenhower. He was known for getting stuff done.

Portrait of General Dwight D. Eisenhower from 1947.

Who was Dwight D. Eisenhower?

General Dwight D. Eisenhower was a great US Army General. According to Wikipedia, Eisenhower was an American Army general and statesman who served as the 34th President of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, he was a five-star general in the United States Army and served as Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces in Europe. He was responsible for planning and supervising the invasion of North Africa in Operation Torch in 1942–43 and the successful invasion of France and Germany in 1944–45 from the Western Front. You would be hard-pressed to find anyone with more leadership experience.

Presidential portrait of Dwight D. Eisenhower.

What is the Eisenhower Decision Matrix?

How was President Eisenhower able to accomplish so much as a leader? He used several tools to increase his effectiveness. Let’s start by describing this tool, the Eisenhower matrix, in case you do not know about it. I asked my research assistant, ChatGPT, for a description. It is found below with some minor editing by me and another AI tool for editing. It is a solid summary.

The Eisenhower Decision Matrix, or the Eisenhower Box, is a simple tool for prioritizing tasks based on urgency and importance. It’s named after Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States, who was known for his incredible ability to sustain high productivity. The matrix divides tasks into four quadrants based on two criteria: urgency and importance:

Urgent and Important (Do First): These tasks need immediate attention and carry significant consequences if not completed soon. They are typically crisis-management situations or deadlines.
Important, Not Urgent (Schedule): These tasks are important for long-term goals and success but do not require immediate action. Planning, relationship building, and self-improvement often fall into this category. Prioritizing these tasks can lead to lasting benefits.
Urgent, Not Important (Delegate): These tasks require immediate attention but do not necessarily contribute significantly to long-term objectives. These can often be delegated to others or handled quickly to save time for more important tasks.
Not Urgent and Not Important (Eliminate): These are the least critical tasks that offer little to no value and should be minimized or eliminated. They often include distractions or busy work.

This matrix aims to help individuals and teams focus on activities that contribute to long-term success, manage time more efficiently, and increase productivity. It encourages users to spend more time in the “Important, Not Urgent” quadrant, thus planning and preventing crises rather than reacting to them.

How do you use this proven leadership tool?

The best way to maximize this tool is to triage your tasks using the Eisenhower Matrix. List all the tasks you and your team need to accomplish and put them into the matrix. Each task will go into one of the four categories listed below. You may want to include your team members and leaders in this exercise so that they have a say in setting the priorities. Here is a link to go deeper with this tool: https://www.eisenhower.me/eisenhower-matrix/.

Important + Urgent = Do first.
Important + Not Urgent = Decide by scheduling it.
Not Important + Urgent = Delegate to others.
Not Important or Urgent = Delete the task from your list.

This decision matrix is a helpful tool for prioritizing tasks.

What is the hardest part of the Eisenhower Decision Matrix?

If this tool is so effective, you may wonder why more leaders don’t leverage it. Triaging activities into the matrix is not difficult for most leaders. The hard part is executing your decisions based on the matrix results. For example, many leaders struggle with delegating tasks to others. If you do, then the matrix will be challenging. Similarly, some leaders are reluctant to delete or eliminate any tasks that come their way. I challenge you to avoid this trap. Don’t waste your or your teams’ resources on tasks that do not need to be done. It is not worth it.

Grind culture leads to clutter and chaos over time.

In the next blog, I will discuss another tool to set priorities

What about you? Do you know how to set clear priorities for your teams? Leverage the Eisenhower Decision Matrix to perform this critical function. In the next blog, I will talk about another tool that will help you set clear personal priorities and help put you on the path to success this year. I will challenge you to be even more ruthless when setting priorities so that you can lead successfully in the post-pandemic world.

I have two kinds of problems: the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important, and the important are never urgent.
In a 1954 speech former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was quoting Dr J. Roscoe Miller, president of Northwestern University

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A final quote about making good decisions from a famous leadership guru

The main focus of this leadership blog during 2022 has been making good decisions. Let’s wrap up this topic with a quote from a famous leadership guru that hammers home why it is important. If you want to be a great leader you must be able to make good decisions. Bad decisions lead to bigger problems down the road.

“Most discussions of decision making assume that only senior executives make decisions or that only senior executives’ decisions matter. This is a mistake.”
Peter Drucker

All leaders make many decisions

Peter Drucker is saying that if you are in a leadership position you will make decisions. It is a fundamental part of any leadership role. You may ask yourself – am I a leader? The simple answer is if you are in charge of anything or anyone then you are in a leadership position. Make sure you know how to make decisions, good ones. Remember, if you choose not to make a decision, then you have made a decision—the decision to do nothing which is usually unacceptable.

Leaders get paid to make tough decisions.

What happens when lower-level leaders make bad decisions

When junior leaders make bad decisions it produces terrible results. If they go unchecked, by senior and executive leaders really bad things can happen. I will use a real-world example to drive home this point. In 2018 a consultant provided a warning to a property management company about the state of their buildings in a Miami complex. It cited “alarming evidence of major structural damage to the concrete slab below the pool deck and abundant cracking and crumbling of the columns, beams, and walls of the parking garage under the 13-story building. Reports were filed, and plans were made, but the work was not completed in time. The buildings collapsed in the middle of the night on June 24th, 2021, and killed almost 100 people. A series of bad decisions and delays by execution-level leaders was not caught in time to avoid this tragedy.

Good decisions are needed at all levels of an organization

Peter Drucker is reminding us that decisions matter at all levels of an organization, not just at the top. Yes – senior executive-level decisions are hugely important. Decisions made by lower-level leaders also create impacts – either positive or negative. In high-performing organizations, execution-level leaders are empowered, and they make good decisions. At the other end of the spectrum, lower-level leaders may be inhibited from making decisions, or they are not trained to make good ones. Instead, they make bad decisions that create negative impacts. If left unchecked bad decisions made by non-executive leaders can lead to catastrophic results.

Empower and train your leaders so that they know how to make good decisions

How do you avoid a scenario like the one in Miami? Empower your leaders and train them so that they know how to make good decisions. Your team will amaze you with results if you make this investment. The more good decisions your leaders make, the better off your team will be today and down the road.

Help your leaders make good decisions with relevant training.

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What is another horrible mistake to avoid when making decisions?

Our Brigade Commander gave the order. We would ruck march over 20 miles to start the field training exercise. His Battalion Commanders and staff recommended against this approach, but the Colonel didn’t listen. He said that is what they did in his last unit. We would do the same. His bias showed. I was an infantry platoon leader in the 82nd Airborne Division. I wondered why we were not training like we would fight – parachute assault into the field. It didn’t matter what I thought. We road marched the many miles as ordered. It sucked.

Rucking with a heavy load is exhausting.

Our Commanders bias caused him to make a bad decision

The road march was miserable. Laden with heavy rucks everyone suffered. Many paratroopers sustained injuries and everyone was exhausted by it. Things got worse from there. Over the next two weeks, many more soldiers were injured or sick as the days wore on. Morale plummeted and we performed poorly. By the end, our unit was no longer deployment ready. Our Brigade Commander got an ass chewing from the general afterward. He had made a common error in judgment – letting his bias get in the way of making a good decision.

Well-trained leaders listen to others before making decisions

A horrible mistake is making badly biased decisions

We all have biases. They are based on many things – your background, your experience, your knowledge, and a wide array of other facets. As leaders, having biases is not the problem. Making badly biased decisions is where we get ourselves into trouble. Cognitive bias comes in many different types. Researchers have identified several that can affect our ability to make good decisions. I am going to focus on two that deserve attention – confirmation bias and the bandwagon effect.

What is confirmation bias?

Wikipedia provides a clear definition. “Confirmation bias is the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms or supports one’s prior beliefs or values. People display this bias when they select the information that supports their views, ignoring contrary information, or when they interpret ambiguous evidence as supporting their existing attitudes.”

Confirmation bias is a trap for leaders

Many leaders fall into the trap of confirmation bias. Rather than seek input to make a good decision, they start with the answer they want and look for data to support their answer. I have witnessed many strong leaders make this mistake. I have done so myself. Confirmation bias may be based on your experience or relying on an approach that worked previously. If the decision is similar or the same as previous ones in your career it might work again. But, be careful. The more experienced you are as a leader the easier it is to let confirmation bias rule your decisions.

I like this representation of confirmation bias

How do you overcome confirmation bias?

The easy answer for overcoming confirmation bias is to gather sufficient data and listen to your stakeholders’ perspectives. That is a lot easier said than done. Gathering data takes time, and your stakeholders may have wildly different ideas than you. Strong leaders gather all the inputs they can and factor that data into their decisions whenever possible. I recognize that in some scenarios time is not your friend. You need to make decisions quickly. In that case, I recommend talking with at least one other person about the decision before you make it.

Get input from others to avoid confirmation bias.

What is the bandwagon effect?

In a word it is groupthink. This site provides a more detailed definition: “The bandwagon effect is a psychological phenomenon in which people do something primarily because other people are doing it, regardless of their own beliefs, which they may ignore or override.” Another term for it is herd mentality.

The bandwagon effect is a problem for some teams

I see the bandwagon effect all the time in the workplace. A leader offers a solution and everyone agrees with it way too quickly. Rather than debate the idea or ask insightful questions – everyone falls in line. The bandwagon effect is a real problem for some teams because the group is relying on the ideas of the leader rather than thinking for themselves. This leadership model is sometimes called the genius with a thousand helpers. Geniuses are rare and this approach does not scale well since the leader needs to weigh in on everything. Strong leaders are aware of the bandwagon effect and take steps to avoid it becoming the norm.

Followers need to think for themselves rather than simply agree with the leader.

One way to counter the bandwagon effect is to let others go first

If you are wondering what is an effective way to negate the bandwagon effect as a leader. It is to let others go first. Ask your team members for their thoughts, perspectives, and ideas before voicing yours. It is hard for strong leaders to always be patient, but this approach helps you make better decisions. One of your team members may have the best solution and you will never know unless you ask.

Strong leaders ask their team memebers questions for input.

One caveat – a bias towards action is a good thing

There is one bias that I believe is a positive attribute for leaders – a bias towards action. Too many leaders are hesitant to make decisions and waste a lot of time thinking about problems rather than doing something about them. Yes – complicated challenges and strategic issues may take time to resolve. But I much prefer working with leaders who are doers rather than overthinkers.

You miss 100% of the shots you never take.
Wayne Gretzky

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I hope you join me on this journey to raise up the next generation of leaders. The world is in desperate need of more great leaders. Women and men who lead with confidence, clarity, and creativity. It’s time to become the leader that your world needs. Let’s go All The Way!

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What is a horrible mistake to absolutely avoid when making decisions?

Our Battalion Commander figured no one would notice. He was deployed, and so was she. They just happened to be in the same unit. Work forced them to spend a lot of time together. He decided to start an intimate relationship with this Army Major. Two big problems – he was married, and she was his direct subordinate. Others did notice that they were rather casual around each other. Too casual – so they looked into it. My battalion commander was caught red-handed in an extramarital affair which is unacceptable behavior for an officer, especially a West Point graduate. He was removed from command and sent back to the States in shame. A twenty-year career down the drain because of his horrible decision. He knew better.

A bad personal decision can take your career off a cliff.

A horrible mistake is making poor personal decisions

There is a marketing campaign that says whatever happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Clever slogan. Unfortunately, this is not true for leaders. The horrible mistake you should absolutely avoid when it comes to decisions is making poor personal choices. What does that mean? Do not lie, cheat, or steal. You will get caught at some point. Pay attention to the choices you make after hours as well. Some of you may say that it doesn’t matter. I believe that is a naive perspective. It does. I remind the leaders I work with before every holiday party – to have fun, but don’t become legendary. Don’t drink so much that others talk about you for years to come.

A marketing slogan – not a leadership principle.

We live in the age of transparency

For better or for worse, we live in the age of transparency. If you are a leader and do something stupid, like sleep with a subordinate, people will find out. Nowadays almost everyone has a phone that includes a camera and microphone. It is easy for someone to record your bad behavior and share it with others. If you sexually harass your employees it will be revealed at some point in time. What should leaders do? Think before you act. I am not saying that you need to live a monk’s lifestyle. Rather I am saying to be smart when it comes to making personal decisions. If your parents or spouse will be embarrassed by what you are about to do…don’t do it.

Phones and cameras are practically everywhere nowadays.

Many leaders fall into this horrible trap

I could list leaders who have fallen into that trap. But, I don’t need to do that. We all know a leader who made a poor personal decision and paid the price down the road. For example, I have watched leaders get fired after a corporate off-site or holiday party because they decided to get drunk which led to unacceptable unprofessional behavior. It probably seemed funny to them at the time, but was it worth it? The answer is no. I cannot emphasize this enough – be smart when it comes to your personal decisions to include what you post on social media sites. The last thing you want to do is explain a stupid tweet you posted long ago when you knew better but did it anyway.

Some leaders don’t learn from their poor personal decisions.

One caveat – enjoy yourself when you are on vacation

I am a big fan of relaxing and having a good time when you are on vacation. Let your hair down and enjoy yourself. If you are a strong leader and work hard at your job, you deserve to take a break from the daily grind every now and then. Just make sure that you don’t go overboard and end up making poor personal decisions you will regret.

The opportunity to step away from everything and take a break is something that shouldn’t be squandered.
Harper Reed

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Four lessons learned for how to make good decisions

Captain Goofball asked for my advice before making a big decision. Did he need to fire someone on his leadership team? I asked what his gut was telling him. Captain Goofball said every part of him was saying to fire the guy. His subpar subordinate was a low performer with a bad attitude. Do it was my recommendation. He thanked me for my input. I was a Company Commander in the Army, wondering if I was experiencing a lessons-learned moment for making good decisions. My hunch was correct.

Sometimes you need to fire a poor performer.

Things went from bad to worse

Captain Goofball did not fire the person. Problems got worse. His unit’s performance declined quickly. It was a direct result of Captain Goofball’s reluctance to replace a low-performing leader. Everyone knew how to solve the problem – fire the guy. Captain Goofball eventually was moved into a new position because he had made a bad decision. He chose to do nothing about the problem and paid the price.

If you fail to make tough decisions – you might lose your leadership role.

Learn from others’ mistakes to avoid repeating them – pay attention to your gut response

Captain Goofball knew instinctively that he needed to fire his lackluster leader. Rather than trust his gut he chose to ignore it. The first lesson learned for making good decisions is to pay attention to your gut response. I am not saying that you should make all decisions based on how your gut reacts. Rather I am recommending that you not ignore it, especially when you are making a decision and your gut is screaming – NO! According to this article – your gut is smarter than you think.

Simon Sinek on whether you should trust your gut

Lesson Learned #2 – use data to avoid emotional decisions

While trusting your gut is important, you also need to make data-based decisions whenever possible. Lesson learned number two is to use data to avoid emotional decisions. I remain amazed at the number of emotional decisions that I witness leaders make on a regular basis. If there is data available to inform your decision – use it. If your emotions are getting the better of you, calm yourself before making the decision. You will thank me later. We all get worked up at times, and it is perfectly okay to show your emotions as a leader. Don’t let them rule your decisions.

Data helps leaders make better decisions.

Lesson Learned #3- watch out for decision fatigue as your day progresses

Decision fatigue is a real challenge for all leaders. We all know this – making a lot of decisions is exhausting. Lesson learned number three is to watch out for decision fatigue as the day progresses. This article describes the scientific research related to decision fatigue and recommends four ways to counter it. They are listed below.

Limit unnecessary or unimportant decision-making.
Make important decisions first thing in the morning
Indulge in sugary snacks
Be self-aware

I agree with these recommendations, especially the first two. If you are “hangry” – eat something, although a healthy snack is a better choice than a snickers bar.

This video describes a few clever ways to counter decision fatigue.

Lesson Learned #4 – Groupthink is more common if you speak first

You need to let others share their thoughts before you do when making a decision. Lessons learned number four is that groupthink is more common if you speak first as the leader. It is human nature that most subordinates want to make their boss happy. One way to do that is to agree with your boss, especially in a group setting. It takes bravery and courage for anyone to tell their boss he is wrong. If you speak first, don’t be surprised if the group falls in line and agrees with everything you say. As a leader, you want insights from others, so let them share their perspective before you say anything. This lesson learned is particularly challenging for high-energy and action-oriented leaders. If that is you – calm down and keep your mouth shut, or else you run the risk of shutting down great ideas from your team.

Bottom line – leverage these four lessons learned for making good decisions

Pay attention to your gut response
Use data to avoid emotional decisions.
Watch out for decision fatigue as your day progresses.
Groupthink is more common if you speak first.

Not every decision needs to be made now. In fact, some never need to be made again.
Erin Wildermuth

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Practical tactical tips leaders leverage for making good decisions

I listened intently as our leader spoke. He was letting us know about the big decision. He made it without consulting anyone. This leader claimed that everyone in the organization would agree. In fact, it was a bad move. Our leader was on the road to ruin. Fast forward a year and things were not good. His bad decision derailed the entire organization. Our leader made a classic mistake and paid the price. He did not know the practical tactical tips leaders leverage to make good decisions.

Practical tactical tips for making good decisions

All The Way Leadership! believes that strong leaders know how to make good decisions. They usually make good decisions for their teams. It is important that leaders ask insightful questions about the best way to make good decisions. In this post, I share some practical tactical tips (PTTs) for how to make good decisions based on experience. Simple advice for new leaders to follow.

Practical tactical tips can help you avoid making bad decisions.

Practical Tactical Tip (PTT) #1 – Choose the best method for making group decisions

Many times a group of leaders will make an important decision together. In this scenario, the group should choose the best method for making the decision as early as possible in the process. There is a big difference between a general consensus decision, a majority vote, and a unanimous decision. Making unanimous decisions is the most challenging. You want diverse opinions and views for big decisions which may lead to disagreement about the best path forward.

Voting is one method for making a decision.

PTT#2 – The bigger the decision the more voices needed

Big decisions are usually hard to make. The reason is that you do not want to blow it. Therefore, it is practical for a leader to confer with others when making a big decision. The bigger the decision the more voices you need at the table. You should avoid making mega-decisions on your own, or with just a few advisors. Indeed, sometimes you have to due to time pressures. But, you should aim to get as much input as possible whenever you are making a big decision as a leader.

Include many voices when making big decisions.

PTT#3 – Not making a decision is making a decision

No one likes indecisive leaders. They drive their teams crazy by taking forever to make decisions. Worse yet, they don’t ever make a decision. The reality is that if you avoid deciding you are actually making a decision. You are letting down your team, and putting your fate in the hands of others. Avoid this scenario at all costs. People don’t like working for leaders who cannot make timely decisions.

Working for an indecisive leader is frustrating.

Remember – Consensus is usually sufficient

One final reminder. Remember that consensus is usually sufficient for most decisions. It is rare that you will get everyone to agree on the best path forward, especially for big decisions. Consensus building requires time and energy, but it is well worth the investment, and much easier than making unanimous decisions.

Consensus doesn’t happen by magic… You have to drive to it.
Christine Quinn

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Strong leaders make good decisions for their teams

Think about a strong leader you know. Ask yourself a question. Did she make good decisions for your team? The answer is yes. Strong leaders do. Now think about a weak leader. Someone you did not enjoy following. Ask yourself the same question. Did he make good decisions for his team? Your answer probably changed to no. It is difficult to follow someone who makes poor choices.

Making decisions is a constant leadership challenge

All leaders make decisions. It is a harsh reality that leaders face. The decisions you make range from big strategic ones to smaller tactical ones. Some are easy, and many are tough. Several may be simple while others are complex. The best leaders I worked for made good decisions of all types on a regular basis. Sure – you can delay, or avoid making choices. Weak leaders use this approach putting the destiny of their team into the hands of others. Don’t be that kind of leader. Be a strong leader who knows how to make good decisions.

Some decisions you make will be tough ones.

Many teams struggle to make a good decision

It is probably best if I describe what comprises a good decision. The definition for me is simple. A good decision is one that is informed, timely, and the best path forward. An informed decision is one that included the right amount of voices, data, analysis, opinions, etc. before it was made. Making all your decisions based purely on your own experience, expertise, and perspective can result in disaster. A timely decision means that the people responsible for implementing it have enough time for successful execution. Late decisions can wreak havoc on a team, and hasty ones are equally dangerous. The best path forward speaks for itself. Pick the best option.

Leaders are expected to make decisions

I remain amazed by how many people seek leadership positions and hate making decisions. They think decisions can be ignored, delegated to others, or selected through some random process like shaking the magic eight ball. The reality is that all leaders are expected to make a decision. Otherwise, why are you in the position? If you do not like calling the ball, do not become a leader. Do all of us a favor and stay a follower or an individual contributor. All teams deserve a leader who is willing to step up to the plate and make decisions. Go ahead, and swing the bat.

In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.
President Theodore Roosevelt

Strong execution will not make up for a really bad decision

My last point may not sit well with some. I believe that strong execution will not make up for a really bad decision. Some leaders will agree and say it is obvious. Others will argue that a great team can thrive despite the bad decision of its leader. I don’t agree. Too many times I have witnessed strong and well-intentioned teams tell themselves “we got this” despite a really bad decision from their leader. The leader’s role is to set the team up for success by making good decisions. Not put them behind the eight ball and expect them to make up for it with strong execution. Don’t be that kind of leader. Position your team for the win. They will thank you later for it.

Your team may not be able to overcome a bad decision.

What about you?

Are you making good decisions? Do you know how to make a decision that is timely, informed, and the best path forward? If not, don’t worry – All The Way Leadership! is here to help. The next series of blog posts will focus on making good decisions.

Bad decisions make you a weak leader, not a bad person.

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