You Must Be Willing To Pay The Price

September 10, 2012 — 9 Comments

Have you ever come across a leader who acts and commands with no regards to the consequences? And when something does go wrong he doesn’t accept responsibility for the mishap?

He’s a leader who is unwilling to pay the price for being wrong.

Fire Burning

Image by Matthew Venn

This type of leader can be the most dangerous. He’ll go full throttle. Throwing caution to the wind. Allowing every idea to be played out.

But a real leader knows that there’s a price to be paid when he is wrong.

He may be reserved. Restrained. Or cautious.

And yet he knows action must be taken to succeed. Risks must be taken. Mistakes will be made.

He’s willing to take the calculated risks. Ones that have at least a chance to succeed.

Because he knows this, he knows his decisions must be examined.

Here are the areas that must be examined and you must be willing to pay the price for being wrong.

  • Morals: When you leave your morals in the dust, there will be consequences. A price will have to be paid. It may be your marriage, your reputation, or your career. Ditching your morals is a sure-fire way have having to pay the price.
  • Business Decisions: Most wrong decisions will not bring your business down. But there are a few bad business decisions that can destroy it. Be sure you’re making wise choices or be ready to pay the piper.
  • Partnerships: Teaming up with the wrong people can harm your reputation in the long run. Are you willing to pay the price for partnering with someone that offends your customer base? Think it through before you partner with the wrong person.

It’s not necessarily wrong or bad to make a wrong decision. That will happen more often than any of us will like to admit.

The true test is whether or not you’re willing to pay the price for being wrong.

It is hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong.
– Thomas Sowell

Question: How have you had to pay the price for being wrong? How did it make you feel? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.


In Leadership , , , ,
 permalink

Joseph Lalonde

Posts Google+

  • http://tcavey.blogspot.com/ TCAvey

    Love the quote, it sums up the post nicely. I think it’s part of the root some of our big problems in our Country and our Churches. 

    • http://www.jmlalonde.com Joe Lalonde

       Glad you enjoyed the post TC. It’s amazing to think that we’re willing to put people in power and not hold them accountable.

      • http://tcavey.blogspot.com/ TCAvey

        Yep, and like I said, that’s part of why we have such a broken society inside and outside the church.

  • http://jonstolpe.com/ Jon Stolpe

    There are times in my business when we must make a decision to work through the bad jobs.  Many times the “bad jobs” should have been recognized before we gave our price and proposal to do the work.  Sometimes good jobs become “bad jobs” due to poor decisions on the operations end of the business.  We have a choice to make when this happens, we can walk away, or we can face the problem and finish the project.  Finishing the project doesn’t always mean immediate financial rewards for our business, but it demonstrates a dedication to our customers by finishing well.  Finishing well is the best advice I can think of to give any leader who is faced with a poor decision.

    • http://www.jmlalonde.com Joe Lalonde

      Sounds like your company is willing to make the right choices and own up to the mistakes. Someone is paying the price. Have you seen the effects of finishing a job, even if it meant taking a loss, and the customer being satisfied and returning?

      • http://jonstolpe.com/ Jon Stolpe

        Yes, Joe.  We’ve definitely seen this.  My company is definitely committed to finishing what it has started.  Thankfully, we learn from our mistakes.

  • http://danblackonleadership.com/ Dan Black

    I think on some level we all have had to pay the price for being wrong. It starts out on a small level, like disobeying parents when we are young and paying the price in a form of a consequence. If we don’t learn to make better choices or decisions then when we become adults then the same thing will happen, but now the consequences can be greater.

      

  • jeff

    I have left morals in the dust, and I have paid.  However, the more important thing was honesty.  I left most of my Christian relationships, in which it was implied that I was committed to a moral life.  And this honesty allowed me to feel relief.

    • http://www.jmlalonde.com Joe Lalonde

      Interesting Jeff. What has been the results of leaving your morals in the dust? Do you think it’s been worth the price you’ve paid?