A few years back, our past COO and Executive Coach, Dan Meub, shared a great analogy with me. He said that I needed to envision that I was sitting in the middle of an octagon shaped room. Each wall had a door, and each door was open. Each of those open doors allowed for the heat in the room to escape — my energy was escaping out all of the doors. He coached me that I needed to close the doors in a more timely fashion. The lesson stuck and since that time I have coached many leaders to improve their decision making ability by “closing the doors.”

Here are 5 steps to help you make better and more timely decisions.

1. Always know what problem you are trying to solve. Often times, we can lose track of the real issue, opportunity or problem. Fight to gain real clarity on the issue so that you are prepared to gather the right data and input to solve that problem.
2. Get just enough data. Too many times leaders fail to make the right decisions in the necessary time frames because they think they need more data. The truth of the matter is that most of the time, more data will not cause our decision to change. Leaders need to trust their gut and rely on enough data and be comfortable with their past experiences, their wisdom and their intuition to pull the trigger at the right time. This is true for leadership teams as well.
3. Get enough input from the right people. Don’t over-complicate the process by thinking that getting more people’s thoughts will bring you clarity. Often times, leaders will find themselves further paralyzed by getting too many opinions and perspectives.
4. Use your road maps. When making life decisions, take a good look at your Life Plan. When looking at taking a risk or making a big decisions with your company or team, take a good look at your Business Vision and Business Plan. If the problem or opportunity does not line up with your guiding documents, then chances are they will take you off track. You put a lot of thought and time into your road maps. and this is precisely what they are for — to help you make the best proactive and intentional decisions.
5. Know that there is always a certain degree of risk in most big decisions. If you knew the outcome with complete certainty, then the energy door would be easy to close, the decision easy to make. The best leaders are okay with the possibility of failing if they have done the above and have a track record of making the right decisions. So here is a key: the more right and timely decisions we make, the more confidence we have. Use this confidence (and the steps above) to help you continue to make better and more timely decisions.

Following these steps will help you to close the doors in a timely manner with the outcomes you desire. Ultimately this will enable you to have more time to think about the future and execute the plans to get you there.

Note: This post is part of a series on Increas­ing Your Lead­er­ship Capac­ity.
Step 1: Own Your Role
Step 2: Be Healthy
Step 3: 6 Steps to Improve Your Thinking
Step 4: Be Hungry and Humble
Step 5: You Need a Road Map

So many times, leaders will make the mistake of looking externally for this needed capacity before really examining who on the team has the potential to fit the need and already understands the DNA and lingo of their culture.

Over the next several weeks, I will share one step per post to help you grow your leadership capacity and expand your organization’s reach and effectiveness.

Step #1 — Own Your Role

Too often , leaders don’t fully understand their role. If you’re not crystal clear on this, you can find yourself filling large percentages of your calendar with activities that should not belong to you. By doing them, you are hindering some on your team from getting to do them and grow. You are also stunting the growth of the organization because you are not focusing on the activities that are truly the high pay off for you as a leader.

The analogy of digging ditches has helped me to understand this. Over the past few years of our economic challenges, all of us in leadership roles here at Building Champions have increased our personal books of business to help stabilize our firm. Digging our own ditches has worked very well for us, but we find ourselves today with limited time to best develop others on the team as well as new offerings and strategic enhancements to our business. It is now time for us to put our shovels down and to lead more.

As a leader, I need to help those on our team to improve how they shovel so that I can spend more time strategically thinking about how and where to best dig ditches in the future.

Now don’t get me wrong — leaders need to still use our shovels (and enjoy doing so), but we need to spend more time leading, developing and influencing. We need to own our roles and make sure we are doing what will truly add the most value to our organization, our team and to our customers.

As I shared with a CEO this week who is a great and humble leader, you must be the guy who is regularly talking about your company’s vision. He is not comfortable being that guy, but his team needs to hear this from him. He knows why they exist, he sees where they are going and he needs to remind his team of this constantly whether he likes doing it or not. He must own his role and so must you.

So what is it that you need to make sure you are doing regularly to lead and build your leadership capacity? It cannot be delegated, it will be difficult to outsource it and you are not only the best but the right person on your team to do it.

Figure it out and make sure it shows up on your calendar with regularity. We must do what we may not be comfortable with if we are going to grow our leadership capacity.

We must own our roles!

Well I am happy to report that the leaders of this firm stated this was by far, the best leadership event they had ever had. Bullseye! Here is what took place that created the magic for this company.

First, we started off with a review of the vision. Your team needs to share a common vision of what you are trying to build. A compelling vision (easily communicated to others) is one of the most powerful tools a leader has to motivate his team and help drive them toward future success.

Like many management teams, this group came into the meeting a bit fatigued and frustrated by the pounding of outside forces and the resulting ups, downs and general uncertainty caused by the current financial challenges. Helping them to re-focus on their vision — and the things they could control — provided the perfect starting point.

Next, we had the participants (about fifty managers who don’t normally work together as they have the same jobs in different geographic areas) identify everything they needed to keep, start and stop doing in order to become the company they all wanted to belong to.
After the exercise, we focused just on the strategies the group thought the company needed to start, and narrowed the huge list of dozens of possible ideas to the most critical five strategies.

We then created a group for each of those five strategies and commissioned them with the task of creating a winning plan that when executed would move the organization forward with great momentum. We coached them through the process, constantly encouraging them to think like strategic leaders in order to create solutions that would have the greatest value to the organization.

Finally, each group made their presentation to the CEO, the VP and to Steve and myself. What they came up with was truly brilliant. Each group mapped out why the strategy was needed, what resources would be required, broke down each of the critical steps and identified potential obstacles (along with plans to overcome them).

One thing that amazed me was that every team stated that the improvements they identified would need to begin with them and the teams they led. No finger pointing. No pissing and moaning about “you people in the corporate office.” They each showed such high levels of leadership maturity by owning the solutions and by acknowledging how they and their teams would need to change and improve in order for the company to become the company they so badly wanted to create.

At the end of the day, there was such a huge change in the attitudes and energy of these leaders. They were heard, felt valued and were able to play a real role in helping the company improve. Next month, the executive team and I will go away for their semi-annual retreat and much of what we will focus on will be the strategies that came out of this conference.

Too many times, those in the C-Suite are investing countless hours working to create solutions for street level, customer-oriented challenges only to find their solutions later being rejected by those who need to carry them out. If this is you, stop this now!

Instead, tap into your talent, have them identify the organization’s challenges and then, don’t stop there — have them think like leaders, work together and own the solutions.

You will be light years ahead when it comes to executing the changes if they own the strategies.

I was with a great group of about 50 leaders yesterday and asked them to tell me who was the greatest leader they had ever met. Only a handful of them could share the name of a truly great leader. This tells me one of two things. Either there are not too many of them out there and/or we have such a high standard for what a truly great leader is.

They slowly shouted out the names of Rudy Giuliani, Lou Holtz, Ronald Reagan, John Wooden and others. My next request was for them to share what attributes those people possessed that made them great leaders. Their responses included:
• Character
• Integrity
• Humility
• Focus
• Passion
• Deep Convictions
• Clarity of Purpose
• Courage
• Care
• Great Decision making abilities in critical situations
• Vision

All great attributes that all of us leaders would love to have as our own. But what stands out to me when I read this list is that what makes these leaders great is not so much what they do but rather who they are. It comes down to their personhood. I think we leaders are wise to take inventory of our personhood.

Where are we compromising? Where are we a bit foggy with what we see or believe? How are we doing in the area of passion for the cause or mission we lead? What values are we communicating to our team not through our words but through our actions?

As we finish the year out, I would strongly encourage each of you to spend a day looking at your Life Plan, your Vision and your Business Plan for the year ahead. Then review your calendar and really assess your actions and commitments.

Are they lining up with what you see and who you want you and your organization to become? Have a few people that know you well speak into your life and leadership to make sure you are aligned. If you find that you are not, don’t fret, adjust. Don’t go into the year ahead without making the necessary adjustments.

Our personhood is a moment by moment thing. So is our leadership.

In a recent session, I was coaching an executive who leads a large division of a global manufacturing firm whose products are very much a commodity. They have a very rigorous process for cost containment and the reasoning behind it makes some sense.

What makes it so very challenging is when the company is enjoying record profits while the board is absolutely determined to reduce expenses in the year ahead. There are many of you who find yourselves in situations like these and are very challenged to keep innovating new products (not to mention keeping morale high and your culture healthy) while having to cut costs, especially if your current numbers are solid.

So here is what I was reminded of by my client.

In commodities type businesses, the only thing we can control are our expenses. Outside factors such as regulations, interest rates, consumer confidence, huge increases or decreases in supply can all cause the spigots to our businesses to open wide or shut down to a trickle without any notice. Those who have such commitment to constant cost containment know they will miss some of the upside in the better times by following this strategy.

But they also know that they will not suffer through the troughs that are naturally part of the business cycle. So in the end, these organizations do not have to hurt their teams by rapid hiring and the eminent layoffs that follow. This then enables them to retain greater percentages of their talent and ultimately to control more of their destiny.

Here is what I know: if you lead in a commodities-based industry where cost containment is the annual mandate, wise leaders, investors and boards will always break the mandate if they are presented with a winning strategy. So it is up to us leading in the trenches (as my colleague Jerry Baker says) to continue to innovate in alignment with our vision and strategy. It is then up to us to build our plans and our cases in ways that cause our investors and boards to want to jump in and get behind what we see.

Don’t ever buy the lie that you cannot drive the future success of the business. Don’t sit around and wait for the board or shareholders to show you the way. The best leaders have the vision and believe in it, build the plans and then influence the right people to lead the organization ahead.

Leading to your vision, building the plans from your vision, building healthy teams, innovating, improving, communicating, keeping costs in line and managing it all takes the courage of a tight rope walker!

To the balancing act,

I am in the midst of this right now with one of the organizations I help to lead. As I am dealing with the pain from the change and the excitement about what can come, I am benefiting from these seven steps. I thought they might help you should you find yourself in an unexpected (yet opportunistic) transition.

1. Define Reality. Assess the downside first. What are your real risks and costs? Then identify the opportunities in this change. What good can come from it? Where is there opportunity in this new reality? You are wise to have a conversation with your coach, board, team and spouse to gain their perspective on this.

2. Ask for Help. Everyone wants to help and make a difference, especially when they see how they can use their gifts and talents in a time of crisis. Now is not a time for you to play superhero leader.

3. Decision Filters. What non-negotiable decision filters will you commit to? By doing so, you will be much better positioned to make the right decisions in a timely fashion. Here are some real life examples.

• Do what’s best for the client.
• Be a wise steward of the organization.
• Honor the teammate.

4. Clear Your Calendar. Postpone or delegate whatever is not mission critical. This means you will need to put off needed and good meetings, events, calls and projects. Set a time limit for this season and stick to it. This will enable you to get back to your normal routine ASAP.

5. Over Communicate. Let the right people know what is happening. Who needs to know what? If you are not sharing, they will come to their own conclusions, right or wrong. This is never good, so lean toward over communicating even when you don’t have the answers. Being transparent while keeping focused on your vision will help you and the team settle down and confidently do what is needed to get through the transition. So let them know what is going well and not so well. Let them know when they are doing a good job and really helping.

6. Listen. This is a critical time for you to listen to your team, your clients and your gut. Check in often. Take the time to sit down and check on them. How are they doing? Are they moving forward or paralyzed? Listen to them to learn, not defend. Their perspective is their reality, and you need to know it if you are going to help lead them through this change.

7. Think Gates. Looking at all that must be done can be very overwhelming if you don’t break it into manageable steps. What is the first thing that must be done? This is gate 1. When will you go through it? Think about the next two things you need to do (gates 2 and 3). When will you go through each of them? Like a downhill slalom skier, focus on the gate ahead. As you knock them down, you will gain momentum and clarity.

Hard, Energizing, Scary and Tiring. Yup, there is a good chance this unexpected change will be all of these and more! This is a time for vision. Read it daily, share it daily and adjust it if need be but don’t lose sight of it.

It has been said that every great leader will go through at least a few near deaths. The difficult changes bring about the greatest opportunities for learning so don’t shy away from them. Hit them head on and keep your eyes and ears open. Not only will there be blue sky on the other side, but there will be lots of learning opportunities.

To the unplanned,

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I am not talking about the little decisions in life — like what to wear or where to eat — but rather the bigger decisions that are linked to bigger consequences.

A few years back I was in a meeting with one of our coaches, Dan Meub.  He was helping me through a difficult time. Business was very challenging, and there were tough decisions to be made.

Dan told me that I needed to see each decision as an “energy door.” The sooner I closed it by making my decision, the less energy I would lose as I wrestled with it consciously or subconsciously.

Many of us find ourselves involved in several projects, businesses, and relationships, and they all require us to make decisions to help or add value. If we have several open at one time, we are losing a lot of energy.

You may never have all the data, but most of the time you have enough. If you delay too long, you’ll lose energy that you need for all the other decisions yet to be made.

Get some counsel, listen to your gut, and close the door.

What many have yet to really define is how this new way of information gathering and decision making ought to change how we manage and lead.

All of the big and little decisions that are made by our teammates every day ultimately impact our organization’s results. The days of all decisions being made in the corner office are over. Our customers today expect exceptional service for a great value….and they want it right now.

It’s too easy for a prospective client to make another click, or for a disgruntled customer to tarnish our brand with an unflattering Facebook post. The people on our front lines must be equipped to make the right decisions in the heat of the moment.

Intentional coaching is one of the most effective ways to ensure that you are building a culture of wise decision makers. Next week, I will have the opportunity to speak in New York to 60 of SAP’s most valued customers about this very topic.

Here are a few very basic and effective best practices to help you grow as coaching leaders.

• Coaching Leaders share the vision consistently, in group gatherings and in one on one coaching sessions. All on the team must know what they are striving for. They have to see the bigger picture in order to make the right little decisions. If they get stuck in just what they see from their cubicle, faulty decision making and communication will ensue.

• Coaching Leaders conduct regularly scheduled one on one coaching sessions with all direct reports, and they encourage them to do the same with their direct reports. Monthly sessions that last from 30 to 60 minutes work well for most, provided the engagements are truly coaching sessions and not just check-ins or casual conversations.

• Coaching Leaders place a high value on being effective communicators. They are excellent at Active Listening, they ask probing questions, and they help their teammates drive conversations to improved thinking and clear action planning.

• Coaching Leaders end their coaching sessions with no ambiguity. They know how to help their teammate grow in the weeks ahead and, more importantly, their teammates walk away from the session with clarity on what they need to do in order to grow and develop.

• Coaching Leaders have a system that enables them to be prepared for their one on ones and to follow up on key action plans. This can be a hard copy file, an Excel spreadsheet, or customized software. Choose what will work best for you.

• Coaching Leaders resist being the Answer Man and instead insist that teammates come to them with solutions. Too many leaders lack the patience and the foresight to allow their teammates to find the right solution to their challenge. If we want a culture of wise decision makers, we must hold back and allow the team to grow through the process of problem solving.

• Coaching Leaders observe and give feedback. Most of our teammates want to know if they are doing well and meeting expectations. They want to excel in their roles and be the best they can be. They crave observation and direction. The old saying “inspect what you expect” is a must.

My challenge to you right now is to improve in just one of the above areas. I firmly believe that our companies’ futures will ride on the quality of decisions made each and every day by those who deal with our customers.

Coach them and build a culture of exceptional decision makers.

I would love your thoughts and additions on this subject,