On the Spot Decision Making Tips for Introverted Leaders

Being put on the spot to make an important decision or express their point of view can be challenging for some introverted leaders. To other people this may seem like indecisiveness. 

People need to have confidence in the decisions made by their leaders, and if a leader seems indecisive, it does not instil confidence in them. Introverts are well known for thinking and reflecting before speaking and making decisions, whereas extroverts are well known for speaking and processing their thoughts whilst they are speaking. Misconception about introversion mean many people misconstrue the think style of introverts.

Whilst quick decisions are not always the best decisions, there will be times when you do need to make an on the spot decision. Particularly if there is an immediate threat to the business and if you want to improve your on the spot decision making, here are some tips.

Give yourself more time to think

In situations where you need more time to think, let people know your initial thoughts, and let them know that you will get back to them if you have anything further to add. Help people to understand your preferred decision-making style and that if they want your best thoughts, not to expect you to respond on the spot.

There are many things that organisations do just because they have always been done that way and if no one challenges them, they continue to do the same thing even though it may not give the best results. Expecting quick responses from leaders is one of them.

The speed in which information flows does not always allow for best thinking. Fast thinking does not always produce the best results. Yes, there will be situations where on the spot decisions are required, but if it is not an organisation that is continually firefighting, those situations should be few and far between.

Be the one to influence your leadership team on the importance of having a collective view that takes into account the different decision-making styles of the personalities at the table.

Get the views of trusted colleagues

Seek the opinions of colleagues and stakeholders whose views you trust. Do not limit this to just those who think like you. Have your views challenged by those who think differently to you. Gaining their insight and examining their views alongside yours, will help you to make a more informed decision.

At the end of the day, as leader you have the final say, but getting different perspectives will help you to clarify your decision.

Think about what could go wrong in advance

The more experience and understanding you have of your role, the easier it is to anticipate the types of emergency situations that could arise. 

Go through these scenarios (or reflect on ones that have happened in the past) and think about the best way to deal with them. This means that if the situation does arise, you've already thought about how to handle it, which will make it easier for you to make an on the spot decision.

Weigh up the pros and cons

Look at the possible outcomes of the different decisions that could be made and weigh up the pros and cons. Gather as much evidence as you can that time permits, to help inform your decision.

When weighing up the pros and cons to make your decision, take into consideration the priorities of the organisation or your department, and what impact your decision will have on this.

What does your gut instinct tell you?

Sometimes making an on the spot decision boils down to trusting your gut instinct (intuition). Your intuition will be based on the experience you have developed doing your role, previous situations that have occurred, and your knowledge and understanding of the organisation. It won’t just be a case of you clutching at straws or based on you making a haphazard guess.

It has been found that people who combine their gut instinct with analysis in crisis situations, make the best decisions. Although you may not have all the information available to do a thorough analysis, combine what you’ve got. As you receive more information and you are able to do a better analysis, you can adjust things

Develop a flexible decision-making style whereby you combine intuition with analysis by mentally running through possible crisis handling scenarios.

Keep calm and think rationally 

If you are feeling anxious about making an on the spot decision, you may think irrationally and affect the quality of the decision you make. Some people get caught in the trap of irrational thinking when they are stressed. They overthink things or it brings on paralysis analysis. This has a knock-on effect on their confidence about on the spot decision making and creates a vicious cycle for them.

Learning how to manage your emotions will prevent this state of anxiety. It will enable you to think more rationally and clearly, helping you to feel more confident at making on the spot decisions.

Even if your preferred style is to think and reflect before making a decision, as a leader you need to be able to adapt your style if you are to get the best outcomes. Developing your decision-making style will make it easier for you to make decisions when the only option is to make an on the spot one.

Do you make your best decisions having had time to think and reflect? If so, how do you deal with those situations where the urgency of them requires an on the spot decision to be made? 

First published on LinkedIn.

If you are an introverted woman and a senior leader and want to increase your confidence, influence and impact, take my free assessment and get a report identifying areas to develop. You can take the assessment here.