Saturday

The Consequences of Choice



To a large extent, we act ourselves into the situations we find ourselves in. What may have seemed like a good idea at the time, often ends up with consequences we do not want. Yet, we can be sure that the original choice had those consequences embedded within it. They come as a package deal.

The good news is, we can “see” the consequences before we take the action (most of the time). For instance, it would be safe to assume that walking up a dark alley filled with men in leather jackets at night is not advisable. Going for a swim in shark infested waters at the Outer Banks this summer may not be advisable either.  We know that certain risky behaviors are better left alone.  

As conscious leaders, it is generally the best policy to pause before taking the action. To consider well the consequences upon ALL stakeholders before diving in with a decision. 
Ideally, we will seek out actions that have mostly upside for our stakeholders and almost no downside.

Reading great biographies (or autobiographies) of others who have gone before us is an excellent way to identify the consequences of actions and to thereby avoid making the same mistakes.