Leadership
Warren Buffet Says This 1 Simple Choice Avoids Bad Leadership
Here Are A Few Pro Tips To Help You Do It.
In his insightful article on Inc.com, Marcel Schwantes references a profound piece of advice from Warren Buffett:
“You only have to do very few things right in your life, so long as you don’t do too many things wrong.” — Warren Buffet
Schwantes emphasizes the importance of making good decisions consistently to avoid bad leadership. Let’s consider a dimension that leaders may not readily consider. By aligning choices with inherent behavior styles, leaders can enhance decision-making capabilities.
The Power of Temperament and Personality in Leadership
To go deeper, let’s distinguish between temperament and personality. Temperament, or your preferred behavior style, is something you’re born with. It’s your authentic self, driven by core instincts and natural tendencies. In contrast, personality, or the presented behavior style, grows and adapts with your environment and experiences.
Consistent decision-making, as highlighted by Buffett’s advice, can be significantly enhanced by aligning your actions with your inherent behavior styles. Embrace your temperament to reduce cognitive dissonance and decision fatigue, improving choice quality.
Enhancing Decision-Making Through Authenticity
Decision fatigue highlights the mental exhaustion that comes from making many decisions daily. When you operate in a manner true to your temperament, you conserve mental energy, making it easier to navigate complex decisions. This alignment promotes authenticity, reduces stress, and enhances overall well-being.
For example, if your temperament aligns with the direct, decisive, and results-focused preferred behavior style, you’ll thrive when making swift, authoritative decisions. Conversely, if you embody a patient, loyal, and team-oriented preferred behavior style, you’ll excel in environments that require consensus-building and nurturing team dynamics. Recognizing and embracing these and other inherent styles helps you make more effective decisions aligned with your natural strengths.
Practical Strategies for Leaders
Here are some strategies to help you align your decision-making with your inherent behavior style:
- Self-Assessment and Awareness: Take time to understand your temperament. psychometric assessment tools and coaches can provide insights into your strengths and limitations, enabling you to operate authentically.
- Leveraging Strengths: Focus on roles and responsibilities that align with your natural inclinations. For example, an organized and detail-oriented preferred behavior style might excel in strategic planning roles, where meticulous analysis and systematic execution are paramount.
- Team Composition and Dynamics: Surround yourself with team members whose temperaments complement your own. This diversity in behavior styles provides a broader perspective, facilitating well-rounded and informed decisions.
- Continuous Reflection and Adaptation: Regularly reflect on past decisions and how they align with your behavior style. This continuous adaptation ensures you remain true to your core temperament while growing with the demands of your leadership role.
Embracing The Process
Marcel Schwantes offers invaluable advice on decision-making. You can further refine your decision-making prowess by aligning your choices with your inherent behavior style.
This approach not only reduces decision fatigue, but also fosters authenticity and improves overall leadership effectiveness.
By understanding and embracing your true temperament, you can navigate the complexities of leadership with greater ease and success, ultimately enhancing the performance and morale of your team.
Embracing this alignment can transform your leadership, enabling you to make more good choices than bad, unlocking your full potential and driving your organization toward sustained success.
This perspective complements and extends Schwantes’ original insights, providing you with a practical, intuitive hack to make better decisions consistently.
