Trending
The smartest leaders I know are the ones who choose to wait. I know that might sound a bit backward and not intuitive for great leaders.
They choose to wait not out of fear. It’s not because they’re indecisive. It’s because they’ve learned the value of slowing down, on purpose, so they can make sharper, more aligned decisions.
There’s a method I teach called DECIDE, and it helps leaders like you press pause in the right way. Because it’s not just about deciding, it’s about deciding well. Here’s what DECIDE stands for and how it plays out in real leadership situations.
D - Delay with Discipline. Pausing doesn’t mean stalling. It means having the discipline to not pull the trigger too soon. You don’t want to be three steps down the wrong road just because you were in a hurry to move. Slowing down, even briefly, gives you a chance to catch blind spots and calibrate. It’s strategic, not lazy.
E - Engage the Ecosystem. You’re not leading in a vacuum. There are smart people around you. You have your team, your clients, your advisors. Pull them in. Run the decision by someone you trust. You’ll often hear something that either changes or confirms your perspective, which elevates your feeling of certainty.
C - Clarify the Core Criteria. This one’s easy to skip when you’re under pressure. But it’s huge. Ask yourself: “What really matters here?” What’s the outcome you’re aiming for? What can’t be compromised? Often leaders start solving the most immediate or recent problem but not the most critical one. What you will find is when you’ve identified the most critical issue, solving it takes care of many other issues.
I - Isolate the Options. Too many choices will stall you out. Don’t try to solve everything all at once. Narrow it down to the top 2–3 paths. The real decision happens when you zoom in and let go of what doesn’t matter.
D - Decide with Confidence. Now comes the moment. You’ve done the work. You’ve paused, listened, clarified, simplified. You’re ready to move and you should move. You won’t have all the data, and that’s okay. If decision-making confidence was a recipe, it’s parts would be made up of preparation, intuition, perspective, and courage.
E - Execute and Evaluate. Here’s the part that gets skipped too often: follow-through and feedback. Don’t just launch and hope. Check in. Ask, “What’s working; what needs work?” Be ready to tweak. Decision-making is a loop, not a line.
Here is where good leaders get stuck. You’ve probably seen this or may have even lived it:
You move too fast, and now you’re backpedaling, leading to costly fixes, team confusion, and a hit to morale.
You overthink it, and the moment passes. The opportunity is lost and frustration builds. Remember right thinking solves problems and overthinking creates problems.
The DECIDE process helps you hit that sweet spot of just enough pause to gain clarity, not so much that you freeze.
Allow me to ask you this, “Where in your business right now are you choosing speed over structure?”
That one question will tell you a lot about where you might need to slow down and DECIDE differently.
Try this…Take one real decision you’ve been wrestling with, something that’s been bouncing around your head, and run it through DECIDE:
Delay with Discipline: Don’t act just yet. Block time to think it through.
Engage your Ecosystem: Talk to someone who’s earned your trust.
Clarify your Criteria: Write down what really matters for this decision.
Isolate your Options: Cut the noise. Pick the top 2–3 routes.
Decide with Confidence: Make the call.
Execute & Evaluate: Take action. Then measure what’s working? What needs adjustment?
By the end of the week, look back and ask yourself: Did DECIDE help? Did it give me clarity, focus, or a better result?
You don’t have to figure this all out on your own. If you want a sounding board, a thinking partner, or a little structure for the bigger decisions you’re facing, reach out. Let’s talk. Sometimes one good conversation changes everything.
Related: Paralyzed by Choice: Why Even Great Leaders Get Stuck—and How to Break Through