How Should You Balance Your View vs. Your Team's Perspectives on a Key Decision?

Leadership coach and blogger Julie Pierce has an interesting blog post on the question of how leaders should balance the desire to solicit input from their team with the desire to make the call based on their convictions?  She offers three tips:

1. Be clear on who is making the final decision.

2. Be specific on what kind of input you need from the team.

3. Be selective with your “no”. 

First, you need to be clear whether you are making this decision on your own vs. facilitating a highly collaborative process in search of consensus.  Second, you need to be clear about the type of feedback and advice you want from your team. Do you want them to generate options, critique a proposal, explain potential obstacles during implementation, etc.?   Finally, be judicious with your vetoes.  Exercising veto power over the team if all members feel strongly something is never easy.  If the stakes are small, consider acquiescing and holding onto that veto for a bigger issue.