Most businesses don’t fail because they make bad decisions.
They fail because they make:
- Too many decisions
- The same decisions repeatedly
- Decisions without ownership
- Decisions that never actually get decided
Strategy gets blamed. Markets get blamed. People get blamed.
In reality, decision making is the operating system beneath everything—and most organisations are running a fragile, undocumented version of it.
The Hidden Cost of Poor Decision Making
Poor decision making rarely looks dramatic.
It looks like:
- Meetings that end with “let’s circle back”
- Leaders asking for more data that won’t change the answer
- Founders re-deciding things they already delegated
- Teams waiting for permission instead of acting
The visible cost is slow execution.
The invisible cost is worse:
- Learned helplessness
- Bottlenecked leaders
- Eroded accountability
- Loss of confidence
Over time, the organisation becomes dependent on a few decision-makers—usually the founder or CEO—and everyone else stops exercising judgment.
The Root Cause: No Decision-Making System
Most organisations have:
- A strategy process
- A budgeting process
- A performance review process
Very few have a decision-making system.
So decisions default to:
- Seniority
- Consensus
- Volume (who talks most)
- Founder instinct
That might work early.
It does not work at scale.
One-Way vs Two-Way Decisions (And Why Most Teams Get This Wrong)
Not all decisions deserve the same weight.
One-Way Decisions
Hard to reverse. High consequence. Examples: senior hires, acquisitions, structural changes, core strategic bets.
These require:
- Clear accountability
- Thoughtful challenge
- Pre-mortems
- Deliberate pace
Two-Way Decisions
Reversible. Learnable. Low regret.
Examples: pilots, pricing tests, process tweaks, marketing experiments.
These require:
- Speed
- Local ownership
- Bias to action
Most businesses do the opposite:
- They over-analyse two-way decisions
- And rush one-way decisions
The result is frustration, not progress.
Decision Rights: Clarity Beats Consensus
Every decision needs one accountable owner.
Not a committee. Not “the leadership team”. Not “we all agreed”.
One person. If a decision goes wrong, everyone should be able to answer:
“Who owned this decision?” If that answer isn’t immediate, execution will stall.
Decision rights don’t slow organisations down—they remove friction.
The Missing Discipline: Bring Solutions, Not Just Problems
Here’s where many leadership teams quietly sabotage decision making.
People are encouraged to “raise issues”—but not required to think through solutions.
So leaders show up with:
- Problems
- Concerns
- Risks
- Complaints
And wait for someone else to decide. This creates two dangerous patterns:
- Senior leaders become permanent decision-makers
- Everyone else loses confidence in their own judgment
If people are only allowed to bring problems, they never build the decision-making muscle required to lead.
A Simple Rule That Changes Everything
High-performing teams operate with one clear expectation:
If you bring a problem, you bring at least one recommended solution.
Not a perfect solution. Not a guaranteed answer.
A thought-through recommendation, including:
- The options considered
- The trade-offs
- The risks
- The preferred path forward
This does three critical things:
- It forces critical thinking
- It builds confidence through practice
- It shifts leaders from escalation to ownership
Even when the recommendation isn’t used, the muscle gets stronger.
Why Founders and CEOs Must Hold the Line
Founders often say: “I want my team to think like owners.”
But then they:
- Solve the problem immediately
- Override recommendations too quickly
- Ask for problems, not proposals
The message becomes: “Don’t decide—escalate. ”guarantees dependency.
If you want better decision-makers, you must:
- Tolerate imperfect recommendations
- Coach thinking, not just outcomes
- Allow safe failure on two-way decisions
That’s how leaders are grown.
What Strong Decision Making Looks Like in Practice
In mature organisations:
- Decision ownership is explicit
- Problems come with proposed solutions
- One-way decisions are governed
- Two-way decisions are fast
- Decisions stick
Most importantly, leaders learn from decisions instead of hiding from them.
The Bottom Line
Execution problems are usually decision problems in disguise.
If your business feels stuck, ask:
Who owns decisions here?
- Which decisions are slowing us down?
- Are we rewarding escalation or judgment?
- Do people bring solutions—or just problems?
Until decision making is treated as a system, strategy will remain a document and execution will remain optional.
Strong businesses don’t just make good decisions. They build leaders who are confident enough to recommend, decide, and learn.
TED BONEL, SCALING UP PRACTITIONER – STRATEGY & EXECUTION BUSINESS ADVISORS
Are you looking to scale your business and execute strategy with clarity and impact? I help CEOs and founders turn big ideas into real-world results, guiding small to mid-market companies through tailored strategic insights that drive growth.
My expertise lies in simplifying complexity – bridging high-level strategic frameworks with the practical realities of running a business. Unlike many consultants who focus solely on theory or execution, I specialise in both—translating strategy into actionable, transformative steps that deliver lasting results.
Contact me at tedb@strategyandexecution.com.au to schedule a free 30-minute discovery meeting.
ABOUT STRATEGY & EXECUTION
For over 20 years, Strategy & Execution has supported leaders and organisations in developing and executing winning strategies. We provide expert facilitation, executive education, and hands-on consulting to help businesses refine their strategic direction and implement it effectively.
Using proven methodologies like Scaling Up, E-Myth Mastery, Outthinker, and more, we challenge conventional thinking and equip organisations with the tools to accelerate growth. Our approach is dynamic—combining deep business experience with practical execution. We don’t just advise; we roll up our sleeves and work alongside you to make strategy happen.
If you’re preparing for a strategy development or execution challenge and are committed to creating real value, we’d love to hear from you. Learn more about our work or upcoming workshops
