Leaders in the current economic climate are facing so many decisions . . . and they are making them. However are they making the right choices? Is there a difference between choices and decisions? Before reading on, I would like you to reflect for a moment on what choice implies and what making a decision implies.

Choice comes from the heart and implies a choice of infinite possibilities. Decisions however, are made from the head and are strictly logical with either or scenarios and where there are limited options. In Crucial Conversations, Kerry Patterson, et al, refer to these as the “Suckers Choice”. This is when our belief system is so rigid that we do not look beyond what we see to other possible outcomes. In order to move beyond the Suckers Choice, they imply that the Heart has to get involved.

What does this have to do with leadership? With the current rate of economic, climatic and political change on the increase, leaders cannot afford to be faced with decisions, but have to begin making choices which implies creating a whole new set of solutions that were previously non-existent. In order to do this, the individual has to move out of the “reactive” mindset where he or she is facing and making decisions daily, to a “transcending mind”, where the individual rises above the ego, observes the existing situation, and begins to make choices on how to approach the situation without the filters getting in the way. This essence is what I call ‘Creative Leadership’.

Ideally the first choice to consider is that of Attitudes which drive our behaviour when facing challenging situations. A task which sounds simple enough however when the body is faced with stressful situations, we default to the oldest programmes within us – the fight or flight syndrome.

A transcending mind where the power of choice is being applied focuses on the end result. It senses and responds, it is an allowing attitude, not to be confused with permissiveness. Individuals with an Allowing attitude do not attempt to control all outcomes and instead ‘allow’ outcomes to fall into place.

A great analogy for this concept was explained by Claus Otto Scharmer of MIT as follows: “you never hand over the completed cake; you invite people into your kitchen to collectively bake the cake”. Allowing is where you let each team member contribute. Instead of judging the person, you only discriminate the ideas (not the personalities presenting the ideas). Choice implies bringing in humour, resulting in light emotions and a sense of response rather than reaction.

As leaders, when we only make decisions, we are at risk of making “Knee Jerk” reactions by utilising existing ideas or solutions that may well have worked before but have no further use in the changed environment. Decisions bring with them their automatic conditioning, which are programmed within the fight of flight response mentioned earlier in this article. In addition the emotions are usually heavier; where fear is present and anxiety sets in. Usually in an environment that is all decision based with minimal choice, control is over used to the extent that it prevents or destroys any new creative ideas that may assist with the solution.

Choice looks at the end result, decisions do not and work with existing beliefs which are usually rigid (example – we can only do either this or that, nothing else will work.) There is no focus on the end result.

So how does a leader move out of the heaviness of pure decision making into a habit of choice? Awareness is the starting point. For example watch your internal and external language as this will begin to affect what you believe. The two key words to watch out for are “Always” and “Never”. Through using these words you are denying yourself choice.

For example – “That idea will never work!” or “Whenever we are faced with this problem there is always a major loss in trust in our ability”. This is where the leader has to replace always and never with a sense of allowing and use language that opens up possibility. Read more about the power of language in Diane’s Editorial

To set the goals and allow that anything and everything is possible in achieving them requires that the leader choosing to trust that when it does not work according to plan, there may be another more elegant way of achieving the goal.

I do feel this is where the blind spots arise in leadership and prevent us from seeing the very answers which help us to achieve our goals – we miss those moon walking bears as we are so busy trying to control the outcome and making decisions instead using the power of choice. Leaders need to be aware of this important aspect of leadership otherwise they will be looking in the opposite direction to where their answers lie.

The Power of Choice is not just positive thinking. It implies having the ears to see and the eyes to listen. It requires colour intelligence – to be able to make the fine distinctions through the use of all senses. As Stephen R. Covey states “Between stimulus and response is our greatest power - the freedom to choose.” Without this ability, leaders may find themselves repeating the same mistakes again and again until they finally get it.

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