My first thought about “winnings for willing” was the willingness to put $100 on number 27 on the roulette table. I’m not sure that was a good business strategy, so as a leadership tip, I looked elsewhere.
I Googled “willing” and discovered that willing person is one that is “ready, eager or prepared to do something”, but what does that have to do with leadership?
EVERYTHING!!
I called upon my friend Dr. Maurice Smith, the Registrar at The University of West Indies, with many years in leadership, to give his views to the reader on the importance of “willingness” to take action.
Without the “willingness” to make decisions, especially when supported by data and validation, even if unpopular, is a blemish, or a stain, upon the character of a real leader. We all know the impact of following leaders that are indecisive to act. Morale drops, the feeling “ship” is rudderless, the sensing that the business will have a terrible future from lack of direction, conversations at the water cooler that our leader is weak, and on and on. Strife and ill will soon follow. “I’m leaving this job as soon as I can”, might well be the biggest negative impact.
Maurice then added, BUT when a leader does have the “willingness” to step up, it’s interesting that people will rally, that errors will be forgiven, and surprising, that creative solutions to “fix” the blunder can even bubble up from anywhere in the business. People become “willing” to help. Willingness to act takes courage, and everyone on this planet admires courage.
But he also stepped back and added the caveat that “being willing to make decisions and act” needs a foundation:
1. Remind everyone of the purpose of the business, and its commitment to staff and customers
2. Get the senior team to agree on the decision to be made
3. Collect all the data you can concerning the decision to be made
4. Analyze that data so the decision can be explained and justified
5. Make the decision.
Stanley Labovitz, J.D., CEO
SurveyTelligence, Inc.
2640 Lake Shore Drive, Suite 1716
West Palm Beach, FL. 33404
