As a leader you will sooner or later need to make decisions which touch you personally.
Many enjoy leading when everything is running smoothly and they can be "the good guy".
In challenging situations however, some people don’t know how to decide or don’t want to break with the harmony.
Let’s imagine one of the following topics:
Discussions about a pay raise
A conflict between departments that affects your success
A severe misbehavior of a well-liked employee
I observe regularly that leaders tend to react mildly when a close and well-liked employee is affected.
The more distance (personal or hierarchical) between the leader and the affected employee, the easier it becomes to say no or to take a tough decision.
The bigger the organization the more important it is that you think in systems and processes. While this might appear as cold or tough, it is necessary for the following reason.
In comparable situations, you should not say yes to one employee and no the other. Meaning that you should avoid deciding by personal preference, otherwise you and your reputation/the organization‘s reputation become vulnerable.
Ask yourself whether you would take the same decision, if it were for employee B instead of employee A. If you want to reflect thoroughly, think about someone you don’t get along with well.
The more confident you are about the reasons for your decision and the better you can explain why you argue the way you do, the higher the probability of assessing fairly and objectively.
Strive for fairness in your organization.
Think for many and not just one.
Aim for equality and transparency.
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