Leadership: Making Sound Decisions

We make decisions day in and day out. Some are quick decisions we make unconsciously or without a second thought: latte or cappuccino? Regular or dark roast? Bangs, highlights or lowlights? Boot cut, boyfriend or skinny? Others, like marriage, health and family, we question, doubt or agonize over.

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Reflecting back over my years of leadership roles, the colleagues I’ve collaborated with, the data I’ve questioned, the feedback I’ve sought, the attorneys I’ve consulted and the cases I’ve studied, it hit me that as decisive as I like to think I am, I don’t make many business decisions entirely and completely on my own. Am I incapable of independent thought and reason? Are you?

Think about that for a moment and then read the rest of the post, Three Decision-making Pitfalls to Avoid, over at the HCI blog.

Leaders committed to making sound decisions don’t assume they know more than they actually do. They are not crazy. They are smart. They know you cannot mimic your way to leadership. Leadership comes from the core - decisions and all. 

What do you think? 

LuRong: A Day in the Life Sunday

Goals matter but what matters more than setting a goal is being willing to do what you've always done differently, or no longer doing it at all, to achieve your goal. When it comes to health, exercise and lifestyle changes, tips, tricks and carrots-on-a-stick fail me every time.

I've danced around diet changes nodding my head when my personal trainer made recommendations but never following through, logging most of my calories into My Fitness Pal, adding a greek yogurt here and there and rationalizing away 5-cheese ziti al forno and fresh from the oven crusty bread with sticks of butter.

I was able to get away with eating what I wanted when I wanted 30 years ago, but not any more.

Earlier this year, I made a commitment to change. I joined a cross fit gym to get my butt back into shape. For diet, I followed a 30 day cleanse and fat burning plan and moved towards eating clean. I saw significant changes in my body based and inspired by a friend, I've taken it up a notch.

I've gone Paleo. 

I signed up for the LuRong Living Paleo Challenge. For eight weeks, I am eating a no dairy products, cereal grains, legumes, refined sugars and processed food diet. It's crazy. I put more food back on the shelf at the grocery store than I buy and am now on the lookout for nitrate free bacon, grass fed beef, coconut flour, almond meal, coconut aminos and vanilla beans. 

Trader Joe is my friend, menu planning is not. I have a hard time deciding on Sunday what I am going to be hungry for on Thursday. Two weeks down, six to go and I am hoping this will get easier.

What drastic measures have you taken in the name of health? Do share.