Nonprofit Leaders | 10 important questions you must ask before your next decision

Nonprofit leaders make a lot of decisions as they run their nonprofit organizations. Decision-making is a thinking process. However, we often make decisions without consciously thinking about our decision and how we are making it. In fact, many of us don't even realize we are or have made a decision.


Leaders make many critical decisions daily
Some sources suggest that we make about 35000 decisions a day. As a leader, I'm going to guess that there is a chance you make a few more decisions than most employees. And chances are your decisions hold a lot more weight and responsibility.


If my assumptions are accurate, it's likely important that you slow down your decision-making process and be more intentional about it.


Decision-making help
To help you be more intentional with your decision-making process, I've listed 10 questions below to help you make your next leadership decision.


10 important questions you must ask before your next decision


1 – What is the decision I am making?


2 – Is it my decision to be made?

• Who else do I need to include in the decision-making process?

3 – When does this decision need to be made by?

• Have I given myself the time to think this decision through clearly?
• Do I feel like I'm rushing the decision?

4 – What are the options or sides that I am considering?

• Are the more perspectives I should consider?

5 – Do I have all of the information I need?


6 – Who will this decision impact?

• In what ways?

7 – Will my decision set off a ripple of other issues that will require decision-making?

• If so, who will be responsible for making those decisions?

8 – Am I making a value-based decision?

• What organizational values come into play regarding this decision?
• How do my personal values play a role in this decision?

9 – How important is this decision? 

• Have I given it the thinking time it deserves relevant to its importance?
• Am I overthinking it?

10 – Will I be able to live with my decision?




Learn to be an intentional decision maker
Processing the above questions will help you be more intentional in your decision-making. However, you may also want to think strategically before making your decision. In this article, I share 3 strategies to help you think more strategically.


The bottom line is that you need to create opportunities to think as a leader. Don't wait to find time to think. Schedule thinking time into your calendar!


More support to help you make good decisions
In my membership site, The Training Library, I offer additional training to help you make decisions. 
Here are some you may be interested in checking out:

• Decisive Decision Making
• Quick Journaling for Effective Leadership
• Values Verification: Validating What's Important

A big part of a leader's job is thinking
Give yourself time and space to think! And don't be afraid to tell others that's what you are doing! Having the confidence to communicate your role is an essential aspect of Leadership.


p.s. To help you understand how your values and creating thinking time play a role in your decision making, tune into Episode # 72 of the podcast where I talked to David Phu about Ethical Video Creation