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Here’s a bet I’m willing to take: You are too slow at making decisions.

Stay with me… this isn’t an accusation.

It’s a call to be more effective and better prepared.

We just watched one of the largest and oldest organizations on the planet make its most important decision. And most headlines will tell you they made it in less than 36 hours.

Yes, I’m talking about the Catholic Church, which just named a new Pope.

It was less than 2 days from when the Conclave began to when there was white smoke coming out of the chimney.

I haven’t gone as deep as some of my friends on watching and learning this process. But as a casual observer, it is fascinating. So much about leadership is making decisions. And this is a big one.

133 Cardinals go into a locked-down Sistine Chapel with no outside access, then come out only when they’ve named who will be the new world leader.

Contrast this with what I see elsewhere in the world and we look slow to make decisions!

Religion aside (although it is very interesting), here’s why I think this matters to you:

Important decisions can be made quickly.

Honestly, this has been a difficult realization for me to come to as a planner and someone who is naturally risk-averse. I want to think through options, outcomes, and possibilities. But I’ve learned that, especially as a leader, it is important to choose both decisively and quickly.

Why make decisions quickly? Because questions, unrest, and rumors grow inside your team or organization the longer you wait. Projects and work slow down while waiting for the decision. People begin to lose trust the longer it takes.

Your leadership depends on the speed and quality of your decision-making.

How to make faster decisions:

First, you have to understand the permanence of your decisions.

Most of our decisions are reversible or editable. I think we fixate on the large, life-changing decisions because of their impact. But those are rare.

Changing jobs or launching a business is less impactful in the long run than you might think. Sure, there could be lost time or money, but you can always change jobs again or shut down your business and go back to a job. (Easier said than done, I know - but doable!)

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James Clear has a brilliant framework for this. He says to think about decisions as a hat, haircut, or tattoo:

Read his full post here: https://jamesclear.com/3-2-1/february-1-2024​

If you are like me, you spend too much time and stress on hat decisions. Pick one and move on, change it if you need to.

Next week I’ll share some more practical how-to tips to help you make decisions faster, even haircuts and tattoos!

Thanks for reading,

Phil

405 Leadership Advisors LLC

We help leaders define strategy and implement with ​confidence and clarity.