Being decisive can be a very good thing. A person who knows what they want and how they want it is confident. Self-assurance and certainty are valuable leadership qualities that make it easier to make decisions.
Decisive people have many positive attributes. Their no-nonsense style is efficient, outcome-focused, and helps settle matters quickly. Being decisive may seem ideal, but there are two ways that being too decisive can hurt you.
Being too decisive can limit variety
Decisive people can sometimes be rigid and unaware they are limiting themselves from a variety of options. While decisiveness is confidence, being too quick to decide might cut you off from new ideas or experiences you hadn’t considered.
It’s fine to be decisive and make decisions with ease but make certain you are exploring all the options before making your final decision. Here are some ideas that can broaden your decision-making horizons.
Try something new on the menu: If you find that you order the same item each time you frequent your favorite restaurant, consider trying something new. Better yet, ask someone else to choose a new restaurant and try their recommendation for your meal.
Wait 24 hours: If you tend to jump the gun and make a decision straight out of the gate, consider holding off for 24 hours and consider other options. Want a new car but always buy white? Sleep on your decision and see if your heart’s desire might be red this time.
Being too decisive can alienate you from others
If you rely on yourself for making decisions and find that you consistently make them without consulting or including others, you may be alienating yourself. Decisive people are often leaders and you know what they say… ”it’s lonely at the top.”
Being too decisive can also be called being bossy. This is fine when the buck stops with you, but no one is an island unto himself and certainly not the leader in all situations. Being too decisive can be disruptive to group efforts where teamwork is an important part of the situation. Sometimes it’s better to hold back your decisive tendencies for the greater good. Here are some examples when it’s best to reserve your decisiveness.
Mentor without opinion: Sometimes it’s best to let others make the decisions and see how they play out. You may know the best solution for a problem, but natural and logical consequences dictate others learn best from making their own decisions and living with the outcomes – both good or bad. When you can, withhold your opinion and allow others a learning experience.
Seek to support someone else’s vision: Being in a group setting may require supporting someone else’s vision. Learn to let someone else be the leader even when you may know a better, faster, more advantageous way. If the opportunity comes up for your wisdom, that’s great. In the meantime, learn to support someone else as they walk out their plans.
While being decisive is a positive quality, there are times when it can be detrimental. Learning when to be decisive and when to let things go is a helpful balance for supporting others and broadening your horizons.
