Where there is not community, trust, respect, ethical behavior are difficult for the young to learn and for the old to maintain.
Robert K. GreenleafRead
On an important decision one rarely has 100% of the information needed for a good decision no matter how much one spends or how long one waits. And, if one waits too long, he has a different problem and has to start all over. This is the terrible dilemma of the hesitant decision maker.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Indecision often stems from the lack of complete information, and waiting too long can lead to missed opportunities.
This quote by Robert K. Greenleaf highlights the challenge faced by decision-makers who are often overwhelmed by the need for complete information before making a choice. It emphasizes that waiting indefinitely in pursuit of total certainty can lead to greater problems, such as losing relevance or having to revisit an issue that could have been resolved earlier.
Themes
DecisionIndecisionDilemmaInformationOpportunity
In practice
Example use cases
During a team meeting discussing project timelines, one can refer to this quote to encourage timely decisions.
More from Robert K. Greenleaf
All quotes →The servant-leader is servant first... It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first.
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Faith is the choice of the nobler hypothesis.' Not the noblest, one never knows what that is. But the nobler, the best one can see when the choice is made.
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A Leader is one who ventures and takes the risks of going out ahead to show the way and whom others follow, voluntarily, because they are persuaded that the leader's path is the right one-for them, probably better than they could devise for themselves.
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The only test of leadership is that somebody follows.
Robert K. GreenleafRead
Leadership must first and foremost meet the needs of others.
Robert K. GreenleafRead
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