YOUR FIRST MILLION DOLLARS
LEADERSHIP LESSONS
Make Decisions That Make A Difference
Good decision-making stems from good judgment BY HARVEY MACKAY | SPECIAL TO NATIONAL MORTGAGE PROFESSIONAL
T
he late famed oil prospector and corporate raider, T. Boone Pickens, once said in commencement remarks at George Washington University, “Be willing to make decisions. That’s the most important quality in a good leader. Don’t fall victim to what I call the ‘ready-aim-aim-aim-aim syndrome.’ You must be willing to fire.” It’s common knowledge that most people simply do not like to make tough decisions. That’s why the frustrated executive replaced the “In” and “Out” trays on his desk with one labeled “Stalled.” We are at a critical point for many businesses right now; decisions made today affect the future survival of every operation. The pandemic has stalled all kinds of decisions that would have been five-minute conversations just weeks ago. And so many decisions were made for us by government orders. Can’t overrule those. So how best to approach these pressing issues that are within our control that need immediate action? Sigmund Freud and his niece once discussed how difficult it was for some people to make a decision. He
said, “I’ll tell you what I tell them. I ask them to toss a coin.” His niece said, “I can’t believe it. You, a man of science, guided by senseless chance!” Freud answered, “I did not say you should follow blindly what the coin tells you. What I want you to do is to note what the coin indicates. Then look into your own reactions. Ask yourself, ‘Am I pleased? Am I disappointed?’ That will help you to recognize how you really feel about the matter, deep down inside. With that as a basis, you’ll then be ready to make up your mind and come to the right decision.”
STAY TRUE TO YOU We grow by making decisions and assuming responsibility for them. You’re not going to be right all the time. In fact, President Harry S
Truman said, “Whenever I make a bum decision, I just go out and make another.” One of his predecessors, President Theodore Roosevelt, had a little different take. “In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing,” he said. Sitting on a decision too long just creates a new problem. Not making a decision is doing nothing. Counselor and researcher Trudi Griffin says there are simple ways to make the decision process less intimidating, such as “identifying the worst case scenario, making a spreadsheet, and following your gut instinct.” In addition, she recommends considering whether the decision will be permanent. “Most decisions are reversible. So, you can take comfort in knowing that if you hate your decision, you can always make a change to fix the situation later on.” In addition, she counsels to “learn to distinguish between an impulse
Strong leaders have no problem in making decisions.
PEOPLE ON THE MOVE //
> Landtrust
Title Services named Carmen Carbonara director of sales for residential services.
22
> LenderClose
announced the addition of Software Engineer Steven Krossner to its team in Des Moines, Iowa.
| NATIONAL MORTGAGE PROFESSIONAL MAGAZINE
> Wyndham
Capital Mortgage announced that industry veteran Barbara Boccia, CRCM, MBA, JD, joined the company as senior vice president of risk and compliance.
> Total Expert
named Anna Klombies as its chief people officer.
