3 Essential Decision Making Questions To Think About

At the recent Chic-Fil-A Leadercast event Andy Stanley (see bio at the bottom of the page) explained three questions he felt are at the core of making important and difficult decisions.

1. What would my replacement do?

• This question brings immediate objectivity to the decision.
• It brings clarity to the process.
• Once you have contemplated the answer to this question, walk out the door, walk back in and do it.

2.  What would a great leader do?

• This can be somewhat of a threatening question for some leaders.
• The question is meant to give you permission to remove yourself from the situation and get a different perspective.
• You can get a balcony level perspective and be more objective.
• You can focus your decision on the mission and vision of your organization through this question.
• What would _________ do?

3. What story do I want to tell?

• Every decision is nothing more than a story you tell.
• You always have the story you tell. Your story stays with you forever.
• Let the decision tell the story you want to tell.

Andy Stanley is a sought-after leadership communicator, author, pastor and founder of North Point Ministries, Inc. (NPM) in Atlanta, GA. Each Sunday, more than thirty thousand people attend worship services at one of NPM's five churches. Every month, well over a million people from nearly every country in the world hear Stanley's teaching content via TV, radio, podcasts and live streaming.

Stanley's latest book is The Next Generation Leader.

You can follow Stanley on Twitter @AndyStanley