Every manager must potentially make at least seven decisions every day. Each of these decisions can make or break a company every day. To achieve management leadership excellence, every manager should be ready to make these seven decisions at any time — every minute of the day:
1. No matter how tough the situation, decide: “The buck stops here.”
Never let your history control your destiny. You are where you are right now in life because of the decisions you’ve made thus far. The first step is to take responsibility for where you are — mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally and financially — and realize that your thoughts dedicate your circumstances.
2. When considering what to change and what to give in the way of service, decide: “I will seek wisdom.”
By seeking out wisdom — choosing friends and mentors carefully and becoming a servant to others — you can transform your life experience.
3. No matter how normal or extraordinary the situation may be, decide: “I am a person of action.”
Becoming a person of action — someone who makes decisions and acts on them quickly — will multiply your efforts a hundredfold. With courage and boundless energy, you can transform into an inspiring leader.
4. No matter how many people around you are uncertain, even when mutiny is afoot, stand your ground and declare: “I have a decided heart.”
A wise man once said: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Knowing this to be true, you can take the first step today. With a decided heart, your course is charted and your destiny is assured.
5. No matter how daunting the odds and dismal the situation may be, decide: “Today I will choose to be happy.”
Happiness is a choice. Few people grasp the truth of the physical law that enables one to live happily every day. Happiness is not an emotional phantom floating in and out of life, but rather, the end result of certain thoughts and activities, which actually bring about a chemical reaction in the body.
6. No matter what people have done in the past, no matter how horrible the pain may have been inflicted, decide: “I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit.”
The secret to dissipating anger and resentment is through forgiveness — even to those who do not ask for it. By the simple act of granting forgiveness, you release the demons of the past about which you can do nothing and create a new heart, a new beginning.
7. No matter what missed opportunities happen each day because of you or another’s unwillingness to follow through, decide: “I will persist without exception.”
The greatest power ever bestowed upon mankind is the power of choice. Choose to persist without exception. Hold fast to your dreams and stay the course, even in the face of exhaustion, rejection and uncertainty.
Andy Andrews says: “It’s easy to reach these decisions. The challenge is in living them daily. A person who positively impacts the world has mastered these simple decisions in everyday life. We each possess this God-given ability. It is our divine gift. May you use it well.”
Is that all? Not by a long shot, but this is the minimum. The decisions above could easily save your company or your family from disaster and long-term pain and anguish.
“The Seven Decisions” are taken from “The Traveler’s Gift” by Andy Andrews, www.andyandrews.com.
