“By the time I finish my term, nobody will recognize this state,” the Governor boasted. He earmarked several government buildings for reconstruction. Things were done haphazardly. At the airport, he decided to tear up the marble flooring and replace with tile.

“Wha…?” Why would you replace a superior material with a lesser one? Who consulted on this? What manner of fraud is this? Every day, leaders make poor decisions with negative present and future ramifications. Avoid such poor decisions as a leader by considering the following:

1. Accept your limited knowledge. You don’t know it all. You’re not always right. In fact, you’d be wrong on most things but your areas of expertise. Thus, it is necessary to seek advice.
2. Beware of self-serving advisors. Some want to fill their bellies, support a family member who sells tiles, or even scuttle your chances of reelection. Review recommendations carefully. If you farm out the research on options, weigh the recommendations of one team of advisors against others.
3. Don’t recreate the wheel. Sure, you want to leave a legacy, you want to do something grand so your name will be remembered, this may not require undoing what the previous leader has done. In the developing world, there are many uncharted territories; take one of them.
4. Look around you. Learn from other countries who have attempted similar projects un/successfully. Take what works and apply it. There’s a lot to learn from the successes and failures of others. So, when you go out there visiting dignitaries in other countries, bring home useful and applicable knowledge.
5. Leaders pick the best way. Once you decide to make good choices not your choices, you’ll have a great impact.

#Leadershipbeginsathome, #leaderschoosethebest, #leadwell