Over 40 years talking about it and looking at the ‘facts’ and still no one can make a decision about where to put another runway in the UK (picture from theGuardianonline).
Even accepting Sophocles’ opinion that
Quick decisions are unsafe decisions
it must be time to step up, make a decision and allow everyone involved to move on. Even Sophocles would think that 40 years is long enough wouldn’t he? As Grant Shapps, the former Tory co-chairman said, more “guts and authority” is needed by those in power, who instead seem to be more concerned about keeping everyone happy (they fear a rebellion in the Conservative ranks if Heathrow is pushed through apparently).
In real life you can’t keep everyone happy, but if you know what your mission is and what your values are and then make decisions in alignment with those, as Roy E Disney puts it:
when your values are clear to you, making decisions becomes easier
Two real examples that I have come across recently:
- coaching a CEO who, buffeted by the rogue storms that all CEOs face from time to time realised that, above and beyond all else, if she stuck to her principles and stayed true to herself then she knew exactly what to do and how to do it
- working with an organisation that has put energy in to identifying what it stands for, what it’s mission and values are, and with those in place is empowering its leaders to step up and lead, decide and act with the mission and values in mind at all times: to use them as their compass
It’s not just the government that has to make hard choices. We all often face this dilemma: a sense of not knowing what to do for the best, a desire to keep people happy, a wish to be popular, wanting to avoid conflict. But if we can get clarity on our own purpose and values and have our own compass to live by, then we can be brave and bold and make decisions that are aligned with who we are and where we are going.
So is it time to think about the decisions we are putting off that are holding us back? Is it time to wonder what would happen if we stepped up with “guts and authority” and got on with it?
Thanks for reading this blog. I enjoy sharing Choose You moments with you. Love to have your comments and thoughts in the comment box.
Jenny