One of my greatest strengths, which can also be a weakness at times, is the way I make decisions. I can spend a long time considering alternatives, analyzing details, and questioning whether a choice is truly the right one before I decide. But once the decision is made, it often turns out to have been well thought out and correct. What many people probably do not see is how much energy goes into these processes, and how consuming they can become for me personally. Even something as simple as buying a gift for someone who means a lot to me can turn into a process that lasts for months, where I keep revisiting the idea, researching, comparing, and thinking about it over and over again.
Making Fast Decisions Under Pressure
When deadlines are short and decisions need to be made immediately, I rarely hesitate. My experience is that fast decisions under pressure are often the right ones because the focus shifts from analysis to action.
I am willing to take responsibility and make decisions outside my formal authority when needed, especially when the consequences of waiting are greater than the risk of acting. Sometimes it can be as simple as saying, “Alright, let’s do it that way. Go buy it.” If someone higher up in the organization becomes unhappy afterward, I would rather deal with that discussion later.
Many people probably recognize that they think best when things truly matter. Fast decisions are often built on experience and observations that are already sitting somewhere in the back of your mind.
This ability to act quickly has been a strength in many situations. During a critical project phase, an unexpected challenge appeared that threatened both progress and delivery. The situation required rapid prioritization, resource reallocation, and adjustments to the timeline. Instead of spending too much time evaluating every option, I made the decision on the spot. The result was that the project was delivered without delays.
And even if the decision had turned out to be wrong, I still believe the intention behind it would have been right. A good leader understands the difference between reckless choices and decisions made with good intentions under pressure. If people are punished every time they try to solve a situation, they eventually stop taking initiative.
When Decisions Get Too Much Time
When I have plenty of time and no real deadline, decisions can quickly become more difficult than they need to be. Even when I already know the answer deep down, I spend a lot of time researching, comparing, and looking for confirmation that supports the choice. Not because anyone expects it, but because I want to feel confident that the decision holds up.
I often catch myself spending personal time on these evaluations. My mind keeps working long after the workday is over. It can be anything from major strategic choices to small details that other people would decide on in minutes. Many people probably recognize this feeling, especially when the decision feels important or the consequences seem significant.
At the same time, this thoroughness has saved me from many poor decisions over the years.
When I had to choose a supplier for a critical component, I spent a long time reviewing everything from performance and stability to experiences from other customers. The process took longer than some people may have wanted, but the choice later proved to be both stable and cost-effective over time.
I think many people experience the same balance between being thorough and overthinking. Too little research can lead to poor decisions, while too much can leave you standing still. Over time, I have realized that good decisions are often about finding the point where you have enough information to trust your choice, without spending all your energy searching for a perfect answer that may not even exist.
When I make major decisions, I prefer doing it together with the team rather than alone. To some people, it might look like I am avoiding making decisions myself, but it is actually the opposite. I believe people make better decisions when they feel ownership of what is happening and when more perspectives and experiences are allowed into the discussion before the direction is set.
When the team is involved, it also becomes easier to understand why we are doing what we are doing. People are no longer just working toward a goal because someone told them to, but because they understand the direction and feel like part of it.
But the responsibility still stops with me. If things go well, the credit belongs to the team. If things go badly, I am the one who has to stand in it as the leader. That is how I believe leadership should work.
I believe many organizations could get far more out of both the competence and the people they already have if more leaders involved their teams in decisions instead of simply informing them afterward.
Intuition Also Needs a Foundation
Even though my intuition often turns out to be right, I rarely make decisions based on gut feeling alone. I like having facts, experience, and concrete reference points underneath a decision before I commit to it. Not because every decision has to be perfect, but because I want to know the choice is grounded in something more than just a feeling.
At the same time, I have learned that intuition is often about recognizing patterns before you are fully conscious of them. Experiences, conversations, market signals, and small observations settle somewhere in the back of your mind and slowly form a picture over time. The challenge is that these things are not always easy to document before the development actually happens.
I experienced this when I argued for prioritizing the development of software clients. Through customer meetings, articles, market signals, and other observations, I had a strong feeling this would become important during the following year. The problem was that I lacked clear numbers and concrete data to support the argument well enough, which made it difficult to gain support.
A year later, the requests started pouring in, and the lack of a proper offering became a major reason for losing potential customers. Competitors had already recognized the shift and adapted to the market while we were still falling behind.
That experience taught me something important: intuition can be valuable, but in working life, people usually only follow the direction once gut feeling can be translated into facts, risk, or business value.
Lessons About Decision-Making
Over the years, I have learned a few things about decisions, both the good ones and the bad ones. Not because I have always been right, but because experience has shown me how much timing, people, pressure, and information actually matter.
1. The Balance Between Speed and Thoroughness
Some decisions need to be made quickly. Others need time. The challenge is understanding the difference. Spending too much time when the situation requires action can cause you to lose momentum. Making fast decisions without understanding the consequences can become expensive in other ways.
2. Intuition Is Useful, but Facts Make It Easier to Gain Support
Gut feeling matters more than many people like to admit, especially when it is built on experience. The problem is that people rarely follow a direction just because someone “feels” something is right. The better you are at supporting observations with facts, risks, or concrete opportunities, the easier it becomes to get people behind a decision.
3. Responsibility Follows the Decision
I believe it is important to dare to take responsibility, even when the decision is uncomfortable or involves risk. That does not mean you always have to be right, but you must be willing to stand by the consequences of the choices you make.
4. Bad Decisions Also Have Value
Some of the most important lessons come from choices that did not go the way you hoped. Bad decisions can be frustrating in the moment, but they often provide an understanding you cannot get from theory alone.
5. Good Ideas Can Arrive at the Wrong Time
Timing matters more than most people think. An idea rejected today can be exactly right a year from now. Markets change, technology evolves, and needs shift. That is why I believe it is important to hold onto ideas and suggestions even when they do not fit the current situation.
As a gamer would say: What did not work before might suddenly be the thing that helps you level up.
Decision-Making Is Also About Knowing Yourself
The older I get, the more I realize that decision-making is not only about experience, facts, or analysis, but also about understanding how you personally function under pressure, uncertainty, and responsibility. I know I can overthink when I have too much time, and that I often become more decisive when situations require fast action.
That is also why this text talks so much about myself. The way we make decisions often says a lot about who we are, how we think, and what drives us. Only when you understand your own strengths, weaknesses, and reactions does it become easier to understand how you lead, collaborate, and make decisions together with others.
Much of the art behind decision-making lies in knowing when to analyze more, and when to trust the experience you have already built over time.
