— To follow is a bullet of wisdom on leadership. It comes from Tom’s rifle, named Shot, who has seen it all. You’ll get the drift by clicking Blog in the menu at www.tomnewhouse.com. —
THAT’S A NO-WIN SITUATION. I’ve been in them, and they are not fun. You have to act when no good action is available. Stuck when stuck is not an option.
Sometimes as a leader you are stuck: no good action is viable, but you must act. A win-win solution cannot be arrived at. Do you fight, going for win-lose? Or, do you walk, declaring no deal? There could be a time for one of these approaches, but compromise is usually better. Sure, you don’t get all you want and neither do the other parties—be they customers, suppliers, employees, or other stakeholders—but a little is gained by both. Only when a collaborative win-win is clearly not going to happen is a compromise preferred, but as Rudy used to say, “don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater.” And certainly, pursue compromise before imposing your will.