Using Excessive Force in Decision Making

Conflict and disagreement are inevitable anytime you get more than one person in a room. Constructive conflict resolution is imperative in preventing the organization from spending inordinate amounts of time on activities that are not germane to its function, but still need to be addressed in order to move forward in a positive way.

I have learned that, there is a such thing as excessive force in leadership. Sometimes leaders, in an effort to maintain comfort and control, overreact to circumstances and find themselves embroiled in unnecessary battles and want to win at any cost, dragging the entire organization with them. In some instances, they may “win the battle, but lose the war”.

All business is relational, and nonprofit management is no different, especially if we are truly mission-driven. The decisions made out of pride, anger and expediency often come back to bite us, and weaken our organizations, slowly but surely. If left unchecked, lost momentum ultimately reduces our organizations’ ability to positively impact our clients and communities, particularly if we are not seen as walking the walk we talk. We admonish judges to make sure the “time fits the crime”. Likewise, we as leaders must make sure that our responses are appropriate for the situation.