How do you make tough decisions knowing they will affect your entire team?

"When I need to make a tough decision that affects others, I will call a meeting with my mentor. I believe it is crucial for every leader to have a wise voice, someone senior to them, that they can rely on."

"If there is a decision in my hands, that will affect my entire team, I will make pros and cons list, and also ask myself, 'Has this situation happened before?' I will look at past experiences and similar decisions so that I can learn from them and create a unique solution from there."

"When there is a very challenging decision at hand, I will involve my team and ask them what their preference may be, and see if they can brainstorm with me to come up with a solution that works best for all parties."

"No one person should have to make decisions that directly affect the livelihood of others. Almost all of the decisions that I make as a sales manager are collective with other managers, my director, or a mentor that I trust."

"Many times, I am tasked with making a decision that affects my students. I rely on my teaching history, and previous data to help me make decisions. I will often go with a version of something that has worked in the past."

It can be difficult to make challenging decisions when you know that your entire team will be affected. Your ability to be decisive and diplomatic will make all the difference!

If you take a more team-oriented approach, share how you collaborate with the group by inviting everyone to discuss their opinions and come to a census. Perhaps you prefer to take charge. Share how you step up to a decision while still keeping everyone's needs and feelings into consideration.

"Leaders are truly set apart by their ability to make tough decisions respectfully and diplomatically. Last year we had to lay off 25% of our sales team. I knew that there would be feelings hurt and it was tough to do. I got through it by reminding myself that I am the leader for a reason. I needed to trust my judgment but still be able to justify my decisions in the end. Many times when tough choices are in front of me, I will back up my gut feeling with data. If the data supports my intuition, I know what the answer or decision needs to be."

Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.