Decision making is the key trait, by which your leadership and management style will be judged.

Are you consistent in your decision making approach? Are you thoughtful and considerate? Are you rash? Do you put off decisions, until the matter is settled for you, by outside forces?

Vital to being a good decision maker, regardless of your style of deliberation, is your ability to process data and information from many disparate sources, some contradicting each other entirely, and coming to a timely, best possible decision that you can make; or, at least, the best possible decision that you can make for the moment.

By making decisions, you are declaring your thoughts and decisions for all to see.

But more importantly: Decisions are the key metric by which your job performance will ultimately be judged.

Inaction until a decision is made for you is sometimes a powerful and extremely powerful tactic; however, it is a poor default decision making mode, because it makes one look ineffectual and out of control, rather than decisive.

A wrong decision made with clear decisiveness can be used to good effect; first, as a way to show that it is OK to make mistakes and attempt something untried, and second, to demonstrate leadership as a learning and growth exercise.

I can’t stress enough that decision making is the very DNA of your leadership style and character. And, like all great attributes of leadership, you learn by doing.

Decide to be great.

Go, and be you.