IQity Solutions

Seeing through the Cloud: Overcoming Indecision

February 1st, 2010

I sat in a meeting this week where I was amazed how many leaders said the right thing but no one committed to doing the right thing. “Deeds, not words” is a challenging motto to live by so what stops seemingly very smart business leaders from actually leading. It surely isn’t a lack of personal confidence because no one struck me as shy. It isn’t a lack of desire because there was no shortage of slogans in the room touting the goal “to be the best”. Once upon a time, Leaders could lead by gut feel but the complexity of the supply chain and the velocity in which business now operates has made that style a little more than slightly dangerous. Additionally, Boards of Directors do not typically endorse such an approach. I think what it often boils down to is a lack of the right facts to make the right call that is either not an easy one or is a decision that will seemingly challenge the organizational culture. This is particularly true if your company has long survived, even prospered, with hard working, conscientious associates with Masters Degrees from the School of Hard Knocks. Managing to get the job done, doing whatever it takes to make the customer happy while still managing to make money earns people titles and responsibilities they may not be truly prepared; particularly when they are unarmed with the facts needed to lead. Wouldn’t it be great if you had the facts you really needed to make a tough call, and then know you could communicate that decision to the masses by sharing those facts so they could at least appreciate the business and operational basis for the decision? From a slightly different perspective, how confident are you that the leaders in your company currently make the right decisions to prioritize potentially limited resources to attack those areas that will best improve the operation, delight the customer, and increase your overall business value to the applause of your stakeholders? If you answered “Yes that would be great” to the first question or “No, I am not really that confident” to the second, a third question has probably surfaced: “are you saddled with the burden of indecision?”

To our readers: “Seeing through the Cloud” is an ability and focus developed through a practical process, a superior technology, and wealth of experiences to provide a different perspective. We are curious to also hear your experience…don’t be shy.