John Stanko

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?" - Luke 14:28.

When leaders approach a decision, they must first be clear on what they want to accomplish—in today's example, it is to build a tower. Then they need to 'sit down,' which means stepping away from the adrenaline of the day to be rational and circumspect—either alone or with trusted advisors. After that, they must estimate what that decision will cost in terms of manpower and money, balancing that with the benefits if the decision goes well. Finally, they need to determine where they will get the resources to complete the task. The decision-making process involves both rational and intuitive skills, both of which can be developed and honed over time.

LEADERSHIP STEP: Today's Step requires that you examine a decision that you recently made—or didn't make. Did you walk through the five steps outlined above—vision, 'sit down,' estimate costs, determine availability of resources, and final decision? Did you walk through this alone, or did you seek out advisors and counselors to assist you in the process? Would you do anything differently if you had followed this process? On which of the steps do you need to improve?