Recently, I was asked what one of my biggest discoveries has been as a leader of an organization. I immediately thought about a poster I used to read every day in Algebra: The popular thing is not always right, and the right thing is not always popular.
It’s been committed to my memory for 20 years. And I’ve thought about it often, but never more than I have in the last few years.
When you lead a team or organization, your day is full of decisions to be made. Usually they are basic decisions, not life/culture altering. For those basic ones, it becomes second nature. You make the call and move on.
But when it’s time for a major decision, it’s much more complicated. There is little that’s more important than deciding to impact people’s pay or position or a company policy. This is usually extremely unpopular. The right decision is almost always the one that has the greatest long term benefits for everyone.
That also means it could hurt a bit in the short term. This is where the unpopularity comes in to play! Your team could very well be upset. And this is how strong leaders are made. Buckle under the pressure to do the “easy” thing, the popular one. Or stick to your guns, be unpopular, maybe even disliked, but do what’s right.
Have there been times I immediately wanted to change my mind because of the backlash of a decision? Absolutely! So how do you overcome that feeling? I had to realize that making the right decision was more important than how I want people to see me. The internal struggle can be hard to overcome. But I promise that once you overcome it the first time, it gets easier.
The last part of this discovery has to do with how I’ve learned to communicate a hard decision. It boils down to 3 things: Transparency, Empathy, and Reassurance. Be up front and forthright when communicating why the decision was made. Let people know you understand that it won’t be easy and that you are here to help. And make sure to leave everyone with a message of hope. Things will get better, they will be successful. Then you have to do everything in your power to ensure their success.
The Tech Exec 