When It Comes To Decision Making, Taking Action Is Often The Hardest Step To Make.
Leaders make decisions every day. Some are inconsequential and don’t require a lot of deliberation. Others are significant and have the power to impact people’s lives or reshape the very trajectory of an organization. As such, they demand our full attention.
I call these decisions Rubicons.
They’re big. The stakes are high. Once they’re made, they can’t be unmade. They are what give unique meaning to the phrase often used to describe what it feels like to be a leader: “It’s lonely at the top.”
Yet, despite all the distraction and drama they bring, it’s worth considering this important question when attempting to wrestle a Rubicon to the ground: Is there really any such thing as a hard decision? I say no. There are no hard decisions. Hard decisions are often figments of an overactive imagination.
Often, grabbing hold of an objective perspective will quickly reveal the best decision with great clarity and precision. What’s difficult about big decisions—especially the Rubicons—is finding the courage to take action once they’re made.
It’s easy to delay Rubicon decisions—meandering for weeks or even months second—guessing them from every possible angle, the whole while only postponing the inevitable and the dreaded discomfort we imagine. We second-guess our thought process and wonder whether the consequence of taking action outweighs the consequence of taking no action at all. Our default strategy is to shop our decision with the wise ones in our lives whose opinions we value most. Sometimes we game this step, important as it is, by selectively choosing those we seek out, knowing full well the stand they will likely take—one that will bring us more comfort than discomfort or one that will be more widely viewed as positive by our employees, despite not being the best for our organization or its future.
Regardless of our gyrations and the time they take, any decision we might make is worth nothing without action. As you think about the types of decisions you’ve made over time, chances are there are only a few that rise to the level of a Rubicon. Rubicon decisions are indelible. Once we cast our die, the impact is irreversible and will forever change the course we’re on. It makes sense that they would be so demanding of our time and energy. When we find ourselves standing in their shadow, we need a way to confidently rise to the occasion and meet the challenge they present with courage and conviction.
There are many remarkable examples of Rubicon moments throughout time. Some have become lore. The familiar story of Julius Caesar, widely considered one of the most significant warriors the world has ever known, provides an excellent backdrop. On January 10, 49 BC, Caesar made the momentous decision to lead his army across a shallow stream that wound its way through a portion of northeastern Italy. This stream, known as the River Rubicon, marked the boundary between Cisalpine Gaul province to the north, and Italy proper to the south.
An ancient Roman law forbade any general from crossing the River Rubicon and entering Italy proper with a standing army. To do so would be considered an act of treason, punishable by a torturous and agonizing death. The purpose of the law was to protect the republic from internal military threat. Crossing the Rubicon would reveal Caesar’s ultimate aspirations and would, thereby, mark a point of no return. In this moment the Roman Empire was born, and the course of history was forever altered. As he stepped into the River Rubicon, Caesar declared, “lacta alea est”, which is Latin for, “Let the die be cast.”
The phrase “crossing the Rubicon” has endured through millennia to refer to people committing themselves irrevocably to a high-stakes course of action in which the risks and rewards are extreme.
I have found that one of the most common challenges many leaders face is not necessarily making the Rubicon decisions that need to be made in their organizations, but rather having the courage to set those Rubicons into motion—to actually walk into the river fully understanding the consequences, yet move forward with focus and resolve.
As you think about the big decisions waiting to be set into motion in your organization—those Rubicons that may be keeping you awake at night—consider the following perspective-building suggestions. They’ll help you find the resolve you need in order to take the best steps forward.
1. There is great wisdom in your organization’s values.
As you move through your decision-making process, take time to thoughtfully filter your potential decision through your company’s values, one by one, giving equal weight to each of them. Ask yourself, “How would (X) decision align with or support (Y) value?” or, “If I were to announce this to my team, how would I justify it through the lens of our values?”
Your organization’s values are what define the soul of your company and shape the content and character of its culture. As a leader, any decision you make and the subsequent actions you take should be informed by your values. Your integrity as a leader will always be a direct reflection of the alignment between the decisions you make and the actions you take (or don’t take).
2. Sometimes best is right.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of finding the right decision. Understandably, being right is something most people care very much about. But Rubicon decisions can be elusive, making “right” much harder to decipher. Before you know it, time, your competition or that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity passes you by and disappears into the distance. You find yourself hoping the big decision that needs to be made will simply go away or somehow solve itself. It won’t.
Instead of handwringing over the right decision, focus your time and energy on making the best decision. To be clear, there are certainly times when the precision of a dead- right decision is necessary. However, in most cases, the best decision is often the right decision.
The next time you find yourself lying awake searching for the right answer, stop the madness for just a moment. Breathe. Step out of the noise of details and look at the situation within a bigger-picture context. By not falling into the quicksand that often comes with being dead right, you’ll be avoiding the unintended consequence of allowing your organization to be anchored by indecision.
3. If your company had a voice and could talk, what would it say it needs most from you in this moment?
It’s a counterintuitive way to think about your company. After all, organizations don’t talk, right?
When you think about it though, it actually makes a lot of sense. Organizations do in fact have a voice and there is great wisdom in what they say. It’s a leader’s responsibility to be deeply attuned to what the collective voice of their organization is saying at any given moment and to consider this invaluable guidance when making any decision, let alone a Rubicon decision.
I’ve found that this simple, clarifying question can lead to great breakthroughs and can be a powerful catalyst for clear, purposeful action. I’ve asked many leaders this question over the years and have always been amazed by the sense of calm that washes over them when they share their answer. Gradually, all the pressure and stress of the matter melts away and the right path forward emerges.
The objective answer this question reveals is unencumbered by office politics or imagined blowback. It has the power to break down seemingly insurmountable barriers and shed a bright light on a range of possible solutions to the most difficult organizational challenges. If, after asking yourself this question, the best decision is clear, then all that is left is finding the courage to communicate and then implement it.
As a leader, it’s likely you have found yourself standing on the banks of your own Rubicon, just as Caesar did as he considered the consequences of forging forward or stepping back. We all know what his decision was and what followed as he uttered those now infamous words.
As you ponder the big decisions waiting to be made in your organization, or even in your life, ask yourself whether any of them represents a pivotal Rubicon moment, not only for your organization or team, but for you as its leader. And for the one or two that do in fact rise to this level of significance, what is the best decision you can make right now? Will you hesitate at the river’s edge waiting for the right answer to grant you permission to pass? Or will you step into the water—emboldened by the information you already have, inspired by the clarity of your organization’s values and driven by your own belief in what is best given what you know?
The decision is yours. Either way, whether you forge forward or step back, the die will be cast.
