Commitment to Decisions When You Disagree
As a leader, you will often need to have a high level of commitment to decisions made within the organization, in order to play the role that is required of you. You will likely have already proven that you both possess and value this vital attribute.
There will be times when your loyalties and heart are in different places. What happens when you disagree with a decision, not out of principle but out of the practical experience?
Commitment And Faith And Forgiveness
The time that your commitment will be tested is when competent people appear to be making the wrong choice. When you have faith in the system, you will still find that there are many times when you don’t agree with the decisions made by others. It is times such as those when you will find that you are served well by the trust that you hold in others.
The concept of commitment is directly related to forgiveness. When we forgive, we defuse tensions and enable growth and team building. In an organization where there is conflict between what is believed and decisions that are handed down it takes forgiveness on the part of leaders to accept that, while they disagree with individual decisions, they understand the burden of taking the responsibility for choosing between unappealing options.
Even When You Cannot Get There From Here
It doesn’t matter if you represent a non-profit, a section within a governmental department or a for-profit enterprise, you must call upon your personal values to decide that your commitment to the cause outweighs your hesitation in a particular situation. In every case, this is a personal choice, based on the weight of each option. More often than not, the simple act of making a decision is more valuable then whether or not it’s right. As they say, the perfect is the enemy of the good.
Waiting for a clear signal on the ultimate set of options will often lead to worse outcomes than making a snap decision based on uncertain choices. As leaders, we are role models; as such we are expected to subjugate our personal preferences to those of the collective. As the catalysts of the organization, we have to remain aligned to the decision and the strategy. The choice of accepting and endorsing directions from above is the very essence of commitment.
Patience Is A Virtue
When you know that decisions are well intended that wrong decisions will be made from time to time, the best course of action is to embrace and commit whole-heartedly to the decision. You will either be surprised to find that it works out, or you will learn something new.
When learning opportunities arise, take the initiative and be part of the solution. In the aftermath of a learning opportunity, your team are much more likely to be receptive to your wisdom. When good decisions are made, because of your personal commitment to the decision, you will be quietly relieved that you still have or gained more respect and trust of your peers.
Bibliography
Johnson, Craig T. Meeting The Ethical Challenges of Leadership: Casting Light or Shadow. Edition 3. Los Angeles, CA: Sage, 2009.
Welch, Nicole. Five Values. 22 September 2014. http://www.transformation-catalysts.com/2014/09/22/five-values/ (accessed October 26, 2014).