Alloy Solutions Leadership Blog

The Best Decision-Making Advice I Ever Received

Four years ago, I walked into a massive ballroom at the Orlando World Center Marriott for an afternoon teaching with John Maxwell. It was right after lunch and the enormous meeting room was freezing cold. I was clinging to a paper coffee cup to keep warm - and to fend off an afternoon nap. Thinking back on it now, I certainly didn't know that the lessons Maxwell shared in the next hour would stick with me for years to come.

Before we get to the specific advice, think back on a big decision you made in the last year. Maybe a few examples come to mind. Perhaps someone else's decision comes to mind - a decision handed down from leadership, or a decision made by your favorite sports franchise to trade a player, change systems, or fire a coach. Think back to how you felt in the days leading up to that decision, and remember what came next. Remember the feelings that followed the decision, and the steps that you or someone else...

Leading Through Hard Decisions: A Case Study in Decision-Making, by Ryan Hansen

Leaders always get stuck with the hardest decisions. It can be a blessing and a curse, but every conundrum, every dilemma, and every head-scratcher makes its way onto the desk of the person in charge.

We have seen a lot of leaders making hard choices this year, and some leaders have done better than others. For the sake of learning and growing together, I thought it would be beneficial to analyze a recent situation and recognize the leadership lessons we can take from it. I picked out a scenario that has made monumental waves here in Nebraska, but the lessons within are relevant everywhere.

Case Study: 2020 College Football and the Big Ten Conference

Let's start with some background. As with everything else, COVID-19 threw a major wrench into the plans for anyone hoping to see college football this year. The outbreak in March canceled spring practices across the country, and fans...