As a child, I remember reading “Choose Your Own Adventure” books.  The plot would go along and at some point, there would be pauses and you were given two or more choices to decide which way you wanted the story to go by flipping to the corresponding pages. There were multiple endings (in some cases almost forty!) that you would finish with depending on your selections while reading.  This interactive series of role-playing books is still the 4th bestselling children’s series of all time and inspired many role-playing games and media in the years to follow.

The beauty of these books was that you actually had choices.  You were in control, and as the reader you were no longer subject to where the author wanted to take you. Instead, you had the power to follow the path you wanted to go down. Similar to “Choose Your Own Adventure” books, we all have decisions that we make every single day.  Some are trivial and others have major implications on our future.  One thing I’ve noticed over time though, is that great leaders make decisions that create more options and choices for them, and their companies, as opposed to decisions that lead to fewer choices moving forward.

They do this by broadening their perspective, maximizing flexibility, and committing to continuous learning.  A broader perspective provides more paths to choose from so they have a variety of positive options that can be applied depending on the circumstances that arise.  Staying flexible, having an open mind to different possibilities, and not being tied to one outcome allows leaders to navigate challenging situations without succumbing to unnecessary stress.  And by focusing on continuous learning, they expand their knowledge and their skill set.  This growth translates to better decisions, especially as they become more aware of what else they have to learn.

On the contrast, leaders struggle when they fall into the one-option trap.  They find themselves making decisions that limit their future options.  Then under the stress of a difficult or challenging situation, they become narrow minded and operate from a place of fear.  People who say, “I have no choice” are really saying, “I don’t like this choice, but it’s better than the other choices available to me.”  

Think about someone who makes the decision to procrastinate and must come up with their best work at the last minute.  They must go with the first thing they create and hope it’s great, because they don’t have time to revise their work or explore and develop alternatives.  The same goes for someone who fails to do preventative maintenance on their vehicle or neglects their health, finances, or relationships.  Small issues that could easily be fixed, turn into major problems that take options away.  In these times, all our time and energy must go to repairing what is broken.

As you evaluate your habits, are you making decisions that create more choices, or decisions that take choices away?  If we challenge ourselves to keep an open mind, be fluid as change occurs, and learn something new every day, we can position ourselves and our teams for future success.  It can be the difference between an adventure with opportunities around every corner or crises management at each turn.