Professional Skills (Analysis, intuition, Judgment, Experience and Imagination - Part 2)

I did not mean to have such a long gap between my last post on this subject and this follow up thought. But this subject just got overlooked in the everyday!
Hope it is not too late for it to be still relevant.
There is a skill more important than all of the skills that I talked about in my last post on this subject.
http://inquiringeyes.blogspot.com/2009/01/analysis-intuition-judgment-experience.html

There is something much bigger than analysis, intuition and judgment all put together. To me, the ability to Believe and Decide is bigger than all else.

One can have the gift of intuition to define the most inspiring direction of thought, one can have the ability to analyze and reach the causes underlying the problem, we can have the most experienced mind helping us judge the multiple outcomes of any action - but at the end of it all, we need someone to believe in one of the approaches and then go after it.

Nothing can be called successful until it is decided and executed - that is where I see a skill vacuum. Very few people have the ability to decide and decide on time. The brightest ideas can flop just the way the most obvious options look like strategic turning points, if they get the nod in time and are executed right.

People love to talk about strategy but no strategy can be called that unless it is implemented. Before implementation or execution strategy is merely an option. Here is what I have observed about great leaders and strategists – “they are not the brightest they are the bravest!” They believe and do. Belief and courage in action becomes leadership, and leadership brews success.

We never really know if we truly believe in something till we are in a position to decide basis that belief.
People seek power but very few people are comfortable when power comes their way. The power to decide needs power in that person to decide. But ironically people become very jittery when they have the decision button under their thumb.

To close this discussion here is how I experience the basic professional skills in action everyday

Intuition: gives direction/motivation for decision
Analysis: gives options, right questions
Imagination: gives ideas
Judgment: can give decision/strategy
Courage and Confidence: Finally helps all the skills to add up to something tangible
Belief (or delusion!): Gives confidence and courage