Decision-Making in Leadership: 3 Ways to Build Better Thinkers

Why Decision-Making in Leadership Requires More Than Habit

Misunderstood decisions and unclear expectations remain top causes of team stress — and strengthening decision-making in leadership is one of the fastest ways to reduce friction and improve performance.

Life seems to revolve around decisions, doesn’t it? Some days it feels like we face millions of them. And because we’re smart, we handle most decisions through habit. We build routines so choices feel almost unconscious.

Think about your morning routine, your drive to work, the shows you watch, or the people you talk to most. Our habits drive our behavior — and our decision-making — so we don’t have to regularly engage in the time-consuming and difficult process of thinking.

But proper decision-making does require thinking. So how do you teach your team to make thoughtful, well-grounded decisions that move the organization forward?

I’m going to give you three practical steps — and here’s the most important part: Don’t wait. These must be implemented from Day 1.

1. Teach the Rules and Regulations Clearly

Your people must understand:

• What is required

• What is flexible

• What is non-negotiable

• What brings reward

• What brings discipline

You cannot encourage “thinking outside the box” unless everyone knows:

• What’s in the box

• Why it’s in the box

If you cannot clearly explain a rule or regulation — and the reason behind it — modify it or eliminate it. Clarity is everything.

Remember: Discipline should always be growth-oriented, not punitive. When rules are unclear, discipline feels like punishment, and trust erodes.

2. Teach Organizational Values — AND Their Order of Importance

Good decision-making requires more than knowing the values — it requires knowing their hierarchy.

Examples:

• Is safety more important than saving money?

• Are customers more important than deadlines?

• Is paperwork more important than patient care?

Every organization has a unique value system, and the order of importance must be taught — or employees will freeze when values collide.

3. Employ Situational Training Regularly

Situational training is where decision-making comes alive.

People get excited when:

• They’re engaged

• They have a chance to solve problems

• They can see themselves getting better

Find out:

• Where your people struggle

• What causes the most stress

• What situations create conflict between values

• What rules are most misunderstood

Then create training scenarios around those moments. Teach your people to be problem solvers, not problem creators.

The Magic Is in the Implementation

The transformation doesn’t happen from knowing these principles — it happens from living them.

• Don’t tell your people to learn the rules… teach them.

• Don’t let them guess your values… train them.

• Don’t avoid challenging them… help them think critically.

That’s what leadership does.

Strengthen Decision-Making Across Your Organization

If you want to help your team make clearer, values-based, confident decisions — especially under pressure — explore the Decision-Making Under Uncertainty workbook. It equips leaders to think with clarity even in unpredictable environments.