What has been the most difficult decision anyone has ever had to make? Lots of historical moments come to mind. President Kennedy and his brinksmanship in the Cuban Missile Crisis. Neal Armstrong on whether to touch down on the moon with less than 10 seconds of fuel left. What about the worst decision? Filling the Hindenburg with hydrogen. The many poor decisions on the Titanic. Or how about difficult business decisions, like Joe Sutter’s decision to build Boeing’s 747 airliner, literally betting the company on the plane. More recently, consider decisions surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic—whether to shut down a business, where to prioritize vaccine distribution, when to open back up. Could you make a decision knowing that hundreds, even thousands of people’s lives would be changed as a result?
Faced with defeat early in World War II, Churchill made a bold decision to provoke Germany by bombing Berlin. The move refocused German bombers away from military targets… but cost thousands of lives.
A deadly serious decision. Early in World War II, Churchill became Prime Minister of Great Britain. On that very morning in 1940, Germany invaded France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. At the time it appeared that Germany was going to invade England. The Germans began a campaign that was destroying British airfields, making it impossible to engage the Luftwaffe (German air force). Britain would soon be defenseless against the relentless Nazi war machine. Churchill needed to do something to inspire Britain to maintain the fight and stop Germany from destroying their own ability to wage war—especially in the air.
Churchill had studied Hitler and knew the kind of person he was dealing with. He had watched him from the early 1930s, noting facets of his rise to power. By the time Churchill became Prime Minister, Hitler’s ambition was apparent, and he knew he was dealing with an egomaniac. Hitler believed he was superior. He did not want to be embarrassed on the world stage. So, Churchill made a very risky decision based on his understanding of Hitler’s prideful leadership. He decided to send bomber raids against Berlin. In terms of military strategy, it was akin to pouring gasoline on a fire.
Angered beyond rational thought, the Führer insisted that German bombers refocus their bombing runs on the cities of Great Britain instead of the airfields. The German high command tried to reason with Hitler, but he would not be deterred. Night after night, the “Battle of Britain” thundered. The Germans dropped incendiary bombs, attempting to burn down English cities and destroy the morale of the British people. Food and supplies in England were rationed as the terror continued. Churchill went on the radio and encouraged civilians to never give up.
The raids were a success in that they enraged Hitler into making bad decisions driven by his ego. The German action cost thousands of British lives, and destroyed buildings, churches, businesses and homes. But the focus of Germany’s air power toward civilians galvanized the population. Their resolve grew and Churchill’s government had near total support. The bombing of the cities also gave Britain the space it needed to rebuild their airfields. Within months, the Royal Air Force was more effectively defending the homeland, and held Germany at bay until the United States entered the war. Churchill’s savvy decision had cost his country dearly, but actually saved the war.[1]
In your life you will face a number of difficult decisions. Some of these happen relatively early on, before you have the wisdom and experience to make all of them well. What career will you choose? Where will you go to college? Will you marry? Where will you live? Who will you work for? Later on, the decisions will often be even more complex and nuanced. What will make this business profitable? Should I hire this person? Should we have a third child? Leadership throughout life is filled with bet-the-company, bet-your-life, bet-your employees or bet-your-own-future kinds of decisions.
Decision-making can make or break an organization. According to Organizational Alignment Research, “effective decision making is one of the seven most influential factors in achieving organizational alignment and higher performance… Highly aligned companies grow 58% faster, are 72% more profitable, retain customers 2.23-to-1, and engage employees 16.8-to-1.”[2]
How does a leader make difficult decisions? The Bible gives excellent advice for decision-makers. Through biblical history are many leaders faced with a myriad of challenges and situations. Many of their decisions were guided by God. The Bible tells us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6). This is clearly an instruction to lean on God in our decision-making. This instruction is also a promise—trusting in God first gives us straight paths. In tough decisions, if you desire to just know the right way forward, this verse is for you. Notice the right way is not promised to be the easy way. Rather, God-directed decisions keep us on a godly—but sometimes difficult—path. How does dependence on God look in our most challenging decisions?
Surround yourself with good counsel. Decisions made in isolation are seldom good ones. In Scripture, we often see decision-makers surrounded with trusted advisors. Moses had Jethro. David had Jonathan. Elisha had Elijah. Timothy had Paul. Godly advice from trusted counsel does two things. First, it gives additional perspective on the decision. Second, it spreads the weight of the decision among more minds. Proverbs 11:14 echoes this thought: “Where there is no guidance, a people fall, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” To make better decisions, wrap your process in an “abundance of counselors.”
The series of decisions during the Cuban Missile Crisis led the US to the brink with the Soviet Union. It is widely considered the closest the US came to nuclear conflict during the Cold War.
The best counselors are those with whom you share a common faith. In the New Testament, 2 Timothy 3:14 says, “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it.” This is reminding us that good advice comes from experience. People you can trust are usually those who are older and have been down the decision-making road that you are traveling. Godly counselors also have a desire to see you be successful. This kind of counsel lacks a sense of advice for personal gain, but rather given with your good in mind.
Get all the information that is available. Good decisions come in part from good research. You may not possess all the information in any given circumstance, but you should make decisions based on the best information you can possess at the time. Proverbs 18:15 says, “The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out.” There is wisdom in seeking out helpful information. The idea of simply “going with your gut”—relying on instinct, a feeling, even your own experience, without the aid of good information, is not biblical decision-making.
Moses is considered a great leader in the Bible. God spoke to him from a burning bush and told him to lead the Lord’s people out of Egypt. But read Exodus 3 in its entirety. God gave Moses a mountain of information. God told Moses that He was going to show the Egyptians many wonders, and only after that would the Pharaoh free them. God told Moses where to go after they escaped—back to the mountain of the burning bush to worship God. Moses didn’t know every detail, but he had a healthy amount of information from God from which to make decisions. The skill of a leader is to make the best decision possible with all the information you have on hand.
When the people of Israel arrived at the Red Sea, with the Egyptians in pursuit, Moses didn’t know how God would make a way forward, but he had God’s promise spoken to him on the mountain beforehand. He had enough information to keep moving.
Practice note-taking when it comes to difficult decisions. Gather information and write it down. List the pros and cons. Make it a matter of prayer. Write down what God is communicating to you through Scripture and wise counsel. Write down those things that you don’t know or wish that you knew. In prayer, ask God to reveal additional information in your difficult decisions so that you can more wisely choose. When God was pleased with Solomon He said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you” (1 Kings 3:5). Solomon replied, “So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong” (1 Kings 3:9). Solomon famously asked for wisdom to make good decisions. God then said, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have you asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart...” (1 Kings 3:11-12). Did you ever consider what might happen if you, too, asked God for wisdom in your decision-making?
Don’t compromise principles. A baseline for decision-making is found in the faith-centered values of the leader. Tough decisions often test principles. Some leaders say that these types of decisions are the easiest for them. Because they simply will not compromise biblical values, the choice becomes clear, even if the outcome is potentially negative. James 1:12 reminds us, “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” But in business, life and relationships we face many decisions that put our principles to the test and cause many leaders to buckle under the pressure.
Compromising principles usually starts small in terms of decisions. Generally a leader is honest, but nobody will notice this small lie. Generally the leader has integrity, but nobody is looking at this unethical action. Generally the leader keeps his commitments, but the end of this one is so many years away that nobody will remember it. The danger in compromising principles is that when small wrongs go unnoticed it leads to larger damage later. Ecclesiastes 8:11 tells us, “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” In other words, when we compromise our principles in small ways and don’t see an immediate negative result, we go further and further down that evil path until our very hearts are set on doing wrong all the time.
Realize you will not get them all right. You may consult with the best counsel, get all of the information you possibly can, and hold to your deepest principles in all respect—and the decision still ends badly. With some decisions there is more than one answer that is right. With other decisions there is no correct answer. No leader has a perfect record in decision-making. Consider that a failure today may be preparing you for a much more difficult decision later. Though you may earnestly seek the best possible outcome in any decision, remember to learn from each and every one. The failure you experience today may be some of the information you will need for the tougher choice tomorrow.
In failure, remember too that ultimately we have Someone in Whom we can place our trust and our emotional burdens. Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Leaders who make difficult decisions, and yet exude confidence are those who pray. In 1940, when France had fallen and the British were trapped at Dunkirk, King George VI called for a National Day of Prayer to plead for divine intervention. So widespread and so deep was faith in God that literally millions of people flocked into churches to pray.[3]
Later in World War II as the tide turned toward Allied victory, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill wrote, “I sometimes have a feeling of interference. I want to stress that. I have a feeling sometimes that some Guiding Hand has interfered. I have a feeling that we have a Guardian because we have a great Cause and we shall have that Guardian so long as we serve that Cause faithfully.” (Interestingly, note that Churchill as a leader was not personally a man of prayer—but that thankfully the British people most certainly were.)
The sign “The buck stops here!” sat on Truman’s desk in the Oval Office for most of his presidency. On more than one occasion he referred to the desk sign in public statements.
Take responsibility for the outcome. When you have the mantle of leadership, ultimately you have to take responsibility for your decisions. Harry Truman famously said, “The buck stops here.” That famous phrase is from the game of poker, where a marker on the table indicated whose turn it was to deal the cards. If a player did not wish to deal, he could abdicate the responsibility by “passing the buck”. Truman explained, stating, “The President—whoever he is—has to decide. He can’t pass the buck to anybody. No one else can do the deciding for him. That’s his job.”
Leadership is not only the authority to make decisions or set a path, but the responsibility for the results. Writer Peter Drucker, one of the foremost management experts of the twentieth century, said, “Leadership is responsibility.” In explaining the difference between management and leadership, Drucker said, “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.” When it comes to responsibility notice a leader must take it. Few people want to accept the blame when things go badly. A genuine leader doesn’t play the blame game or gather excuses. Instead, he takes responsibility for the outcome.
Responsibility, like so many other aspects of leadership, is a choice. As God-centered leaders, we lean on our relationship with Christ when making decisions and taking responsibility. We can rely on God’s help and counsel in any difficult decision. This gives us confidence in taking responsibility for tough choices because we know that God is with us through any circumstance or consequence. We know this because of what God has done in our past and what He is teaching us in the present.
In Joshua 24, having entered the Promised Land, he recounted the times God had been faithful along their journey, from the exodus of Egypt to claiming the place God promised them. Joshua said, “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). This recommitment to God is a great leadership reminder. When making difficult decisions, choose first Who you will follow. A leader who is spiritually strong and seeks first to serve God in their decision-making will make good choices in life and work, no matter how difficult.
There’s nothing wrong with being likeable and agreeable as a leader—but to a point. Likeability is not universal. No matter how focused a leader is on building relationships, exhibiting empathy and listening well, he will not be universally liked.