I am going to leave the link to this video right at the top of the page so on the off chance that the one denizen of the web that isn't my instructor or a fellow student happens by on his or her way to the funny cats...http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/sheena_iyengar_on_the_art_of_choosing.html

I had to watch this twice to catch all the awesome and so should you. Not you Dr. Beasley, well I suppose you can if you like, but something tells me you're familiar with the content. Just a hunch.

As a leader one is constantly presented choices. Some are incidental, some have lasting consequences for a company, and some can ruin lives. How we view the way the we choose is an important reflection for a leader to pause and take from time to time. As Dr. Iyengar presents, different cultures view choice in different ways. For me this was the most profound point. The perceptions of choice are just as important but how a leader understands the way they choose, and the way their followers choose can be incredibly beneficial.

Today's large corporations span the globe. Even smaller companies may have suppliers outside the United States. This multiculturalism has many ramifications; from wages to prices and all points between, multiculturalism is changing the way you and I interact with the world. We can either choose to wall ourselves off in a cocoon of ethnocentrism or we can choose to accept the change and work to ensure that all participants are uplifted in positive manner. The recent tragedies in Bangladesh underscore how multiculturalism and global economics are clashing. I refuse to shop at Wal-Mart (and now anything owned by Gap) on principal. I am fortunate enough that I able to afford a slightly higher food budget by shopping elsewhere. This is a choice I made because I see how my actions are affecting a different culture. I can't, in good faith, support an organization that won't hold itself accountable. Were I to choose based only on what was best for me I may continue to shop at Wal-Mart as I might be able to save on groceries each month. For me the choice was simple, I will support the greater good. However, as Dr. Iyengar pointed out, this may still be a choice designed to please the individual (me) as it makes me feel better to support more socially conscious industries and merchants. I hadn't really thought about how my culture affected my choice but I do know one can only peel the onion so far before you get into the absurd argument that all choices are ultimately selfish.

So what does this mean for the leader? A leader would do well to understand that their followers, or partners, or suppliers, or even customers all choose differently. A wise man once said you can't please all of the people all of the time and that is certainly true but as leaders and people, we can achieve a balance of impact when we recognize that all people choose and view choice with a unique perspective.