Allan Leighton in his book on Decision making titled ” Tough Calls ” quotes General Sir Mike Jackson of the British Army who fought for NATO in the Kosovo war in 1999 about worst case and best case scenarios in battle and how a leader has to make the tough call to accomplish his mission.
What is noteworthy here is the simplified process of mission analysis in tough situations where the decision tool has three components , namely ends,ways and means .The end is like a journey .You know where you are and you have to define where you want to be at the end . Means are the people who you lead, money , machines and even time .
According to Sir Mike , the art of leadership is the WAY in which means are applied in order to achieve the end . How simple yet profound this lesson is for all leaders whether in the Armed Forces , Business or in any other human endeavor.
Leadership is all about designing and leading the way ,using the means to achieve the desired ends or outcomes . Leaders thus focus on the WAY!
Book Reference : Tough Calls – Making the right decisions in challenging times by Allan Leighton , Random House , UK .
Do send more for it’s worth not waste.