Six Ways to Make A BAD Decision

Leaders make better decisions when they are healthy, self-aware, and playing to their personality-based strengths. There are six basic styles of decision-making. See last week’s post for which one fits you best.

In distress, those same personalities make terrible decisions because they sacrifice their best selves for negative intentions. Here’s how it works.

Sacrificing Efficiency for Control

When you are healthy, you make decisions that increase productivity and efficiency. When you are in distress, you will make decisions based on what will increase your sense of control. This is a disaster because micromanaging kills morale and productivity, and analysis paralysis wastes so much time. 

Sacrificing Respect for Power

When you are healthy, you make decisions that support and advance your values. In distress you will make decisions that increase your power over others by resorting to intimidation and scare tactics. This only makes you more vulnerable because everybody will go underground to avoid you while they question your integrity.

Sacrifice Self-Esteem for Martyrdom

When you are healthy, you will make decisions that affirm personal value and nurture relationships. In distress, you will make decisions to boost your low self-esteem, smothering people with help that they don’t need or want. Ironically, the thing you want most – harmony – is replaced with resentment and discord, while you end up feeling like a martyr. 

Sacrificing Spontaneity for Provocation

When you are healthy, you make decisions that involve creative engagement and new ways of working. In distress, you will resort to decisions that push the most buttons and provoke the most people. Sadly, this only gets you sanctioned and censured because nobody likes a whiner. Good luck getting a hall pass now!

Sacrificing Reliability for Isolation

When you are healthy, you take the time and space to step back and consider options and possibilities. In distress, you disappear and shut down, making decisions that keep people away from you. So instead of getting your time and space, now you are isolated. Nobody knows where you are or what you are doing.

Sacrificing Glory for Supremacy

When you are healthy you can make high-stakes decisions that increase excitement and benefit the most people. In distress, your priorities switch to supremacy, looking for ways to dominate. Tragically, you give up your chance at true glory because forcing minions to praise you is hollow. Sure, the stakes are high, but the odds are stacked against you now.

Great leaders recognize when they are in distress and avoid making decisions until they are in a healthy space.

Copyright Next Element Consulting LLC, 2021

Want to learn about how your personality impacts a dozen aspects of leadership? Try out the PCM Leadership Profile.