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The One Leadership Metric That Matters
It’s not what you achieve — but the number of future leaders you help create. And 6 tips to help you succeed.
The meeting room quieted, and everyone looked towards me, expecting me to decide. Jane highlighted three issues we faced and highlighted how one severely impacted the project and might derail what we were trying to achieve.
Jane had prepared a comprehensive analysis of the issues and provided recommendations on progressing. However, no one wanted to be the one to decide what to do. The implications of a wrong decision were too high, and they felt it needed to be elevated to me.
They were right, and the stakes were high. A wrong decision could result in a financial loss, extending the project, and dissolving a solid customer relationship. But I knew I was not the right person to make that decision.
Sure, I will be accountable for the decision, but everyone in the room knew nobody understood the problem like Jane. At this point, I had two choices. Make the decision, knowing as the leader, and I am accountable for the outcomes. Or emancipate myself from the decision and create space for the team to choose the path forward.
