Choices
Aspiring leaders often struggle to figure out the best tactics for growing their team's leadership capacity. While many methods are tested—some succeeding, some failing, and most having zero impact—my own experience points to one undeniable catalyst: choice. Having the power to make decisions that truly impacted my work transformed me into a stronger leader. However, when it comes to professional growth, not all choices are created equal.
The Illusion of Routine Decisions
For much of my career, I held roles that demanded rapid, independent decision-making to navigate daily friction. Whether I was handling a student housing policy violation or resolving a grading conflict, I constantly had to make quick, accurate calls with long-term implications. Navigating the daily consequences of these decisions certainly accelerated my early development. I gained the communication and relationship skills needed to build my confidence and that creates a desire for greater leadership responsibility. Yet, these routine decisions eventually hit a ceiling. They made me highly effective in my specific job, but they didn't necessarily make me a better asset to the broader organization. Confined by strict policies, precedents, and tight timelines, my options were often severely limited. Looking back, I wasn't actually mastering the art of making great choices; I was just getting really good at implementing predetermined ones.
The Paralysis of the Non-Routine
Because I excelled at those daily routine decisions, I falsely assumed I'd be great at all workplace decisions. That wasn't the case. When faced with complex, non-routine situations, especially personal ones, I was hit with decision fatigue and paralysis. For instance, the first time I had to let a staff member go, I kept delaying the inevitable, convincing myself that more coaching would magically fix their poor performance. In reality, I was just muddling through my own paralysis. When I finally acted, I knew my hesitation had already negatively impacted the rest of the team. While we survived and I learned a valuable lesson, this isolated choice didn't actually accelerate my leadership growth. It built my resilience and autonomy, but it did very little to improve my ability to lead or develop others.
The Anatomy of a Transformational Choice
True leadership development requires a specific kind of environment. The most impactful choices must offer clear direction, multiple options, and a healthy balance of challenge and support. My biggest career transformation happened when I was tasked with reinventing a failing student residence. Admissions were dropping, vacancies were high, and there was no waitlist. Partnering with a new facilities operations manager, I was given immense autonomy to overhaul the residence life program, backed by full support from my colleague, my supervisor, and the institution.
I was empowered to weigh multiple options and truly own the outcomes. The results were staggering: within one cycle, we went from empty beds to a 100-student waitlist. More importantly, we forged an incredible community, sparked deep staff cooperation, and developed the leadership capacity of the entire residence team. When choices feature direction, options, and support, they prepare leaders to handle ambiguity, accountability, and heavy responsibility. This environment naturally boosts commitment, drives productivity, and incentivizes true teamwork.
Leading Others Through Choice
Employees naturally crave autonomy, but handing it out without direction or options rarely leads to meaningful leadership growth. While isolated choices built my personal resilience and communication skills, they failed to teach me how to build a community. I only became an excellent leader when I was given the freedom to navigate unknown outcomes with robust support.
As you nurture leadership in yourself and your team, remember:
Don't just hand out blind autonomy and choice.
Provide choices that feature a variety of options and unknown outcomes.
Ensure these choices are backed by a network that offers support, guidance, and healthy friction.
Give your team the space to make a genuine impact.
I am deeply grateful for the rare mentors who created these conditions for me, and I strive to offer that same environment to those I lead. When handled with care, choice is an incredibly powerful tool. Choice can turn tension into impact.
