Perspective But Never Permission: If You Are A Leader, Then Lead

Perspective but never permission is something that one of my previous managers repeatedly stated to our team. When you are in a leadership role, you must be confident in the power and empowerment that you have. Asking permission to make decisions should not be a behavior that you repeatedly exercise. In the workplace, managers, supervisors, executives, team leaders, and other leadership roles are designed to lead other employees and make “on the spot” decisions. These decisions may involve other employees, customers, vendors, and even shareholders. If you were given the opportunity to lead in one of these roles, then your manager felt you had the ability to make good business decisions.

Perspective but never permission means if you are unsure of what decision to make, ask your manager or co-worker for their perspective on the situation. Don’t ask for their permission to make the decision. If the decision you made was a bad one be prepared to justify your reasoning and explain the “whys”. Having a clear understanding of why you made a specific decision is better than making a decision without any direction at all. If there is room for growth, than you are able to be coached on the information you need to make a better decision, should the situation present itself again. They usually do.

Making decisions is part of the responsibility of a leader. Making great decisions comes from utilizing the resources you have available. If you are unsure about what to do, take the time out to gather and use relevant resources to gain a different perspective. Asking permission when you have already been given the authority to do so, displays a lack of confidence.