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A good decision is one that advances us towards where we want to be. 

Mistakes - like forcing functions - say 'Wrong Way. Turn Back'.

The decision that led to the mistake still advances us towards where we want to be (and is therefore a good decision) if we've:

(a) got a Widget that we're measuring our progress against, and

(b) are leaving breadcrumbs (e.g. the 5 Steps) that we can use to retrace our path so that we know to turn left instead of right next time.

(One great outcome of making a mistake is that you may turn around to retrace your steps and bump into people following you. Confirms you're a leader. May as well encourage their own mistake-making by chatting with them about the terrain you learned about while making yours. That's what Leaders do.)

If our decisions are ad hoc and random then mistakes have little to teach us. People will only follow us because they have to - and even then very slowly.

Thus a decision is a good one regardless of the outcome as long as what we learn from it leads us closer to where we want to be.

Penicillin was discovered by mistake.

We need to normalise error that results from good decision making.

Why don't more organisations do this? 

Because this is what Leaders do. 

Brave things. 

Despite the 313,000,000 hits on Google for 'Leadership' and everyone talking and teaching it, true Leaders in the wild are rare and precious and very quiet.

 

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