Being an entrepreneur is no easy task, and one of the toughest aspects of entrepreneurship is decision-making. You may wonder why it may be so hard for an entrepreneur to make up their mind, but you would too if the outcome of every simple decision you make has profound effects not just on you, but on your business, your employees, other stakeholders and your family. Entrepreneurs are constantly hounded by negative thoughts that are a result of over-analyzing, which in turn prolongs the decision-making process. If you are an entrepreneur, here are four ways to become more decisive, and thereby a better leader.
Don’t wait for perfection: If you are ever faced with a situation wherein some important aspect of your business is good to go, but it isn’t as perfect as you wanted it to be, run with it. Everything needn’t be perfect in the beginning. A simple push in the beginning can get the momentum going, after which it will be easier to align your goals with your business’s vision.
A bad decision is better than no decision: When you are unable to make up your mind, you are stalling not just yourself, but everybody else working directly or indirectly with you. Instead of wasting countless hours dwelling on the numerous outcomes of your decision, trust your gut and make one. Even if it ends up being the wrong decision, you are still going to learn a lot from it. The next time you are in a similar situation, you would know exactly what to do. And remember, always act fast because time is money for an entrepreneur.
Have a long-term vision: It is never a wise idea to set up a business with only short-term goals. Sure, we can’t predict how the world is going to be a decade from now, but that shouldn’t stop an entrepreneur from having a clear long-term vision. Entrepreneurs are, after all, dreamers. Moreover, a comprehensible plan for the future will make day-to-day decision-making so much simpler!
Identify the true reason for your hesitation: If it is fear of the unknown, that’s alright. Entrepreneurs are allowed to be anxious. Just break a big decision into smaller ones and tackle each one, wait for progress, learn from it, and give yourself more time to get used to the decision-making process instead of viewing it as a hurdle you have to get over. Slowly, over time, it will become second nature to you.
Becoming more decisive is an important skill, which will help you out every day as an entrepreneur. So, focus on getting it right from the start. However, don’t be too hard on yourself if your decision-making goes wrong. Cut yourself some slack because it will be a while before you learn the ropes. You could take a page or two from the books of famous entrepreneurs such as Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg and eliminate the need to take less-important decisions (such as picking out your outfit for the day or deciding what to have for breakfast) so that you get more time to focus on making more crucial business decisions.
