Decision Making: The Quiet Superpower of Great Leaders
- Baskaran Rajamani
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
One of the most consistent themes that walks into my coaching room with senior leaders is deceptively simple: decision making.
Not strategy.Not vision.Not transformation.
But Decision making.
Yet beneath that simple phrase sits a surprising amount of struggle.
Executives often arrive carrying questions that sound like this:
Which decisions should I make myself, and which ones should I delegate?
How do I stay informed on my teams' decisions without micromanaging?
When do I decide versus let my boss decide ?
How do I improve the quality of my decisions?
Which decisions need to be made collectively with consensus?
How do I avoid indecisiveness or analysis paralysis?
How do I know I’m actually getting better at this as a leader?
Decision making isn’t just a skill. It’s an everyday leadership reality. And because it’s constant, it’s easy to overlook how deeply it shapes everything else.
But here’s what I’ve learned:The quality of a leader’s decisions quietly defines the quality of their leadership.
Where the journey begins
A natural starting point for most of my coaching conversations begin with something more human:
“Why is this important for you to get good, at right now?”
Almost always, there’s a recent moment or experience that I trigger in my client's mind:
A delayed decision that costed something. A delegated decision that went sideways. A missed opportunity. A tense conversation with their boss. A team that feels disempowered.
These lived experiences create urgency. They make the topic real.
Then I ask a different kind of question — one that changes the energy in the room:
“If that's he case, who would you like to become in the context of decision making?”
That’s when something shifts.
Leaders sit up straighter.Their voice gains energy. Their imagination kicks in.
They stop talking about problems and start describing possibilities.
Imagining the great decision maker
Two questions often open the door:
“What would make you a great decision maker?”or“Imagine you’ve already become that leader. What would be true about you?”
Suddenly, the conversation expands.
They talk about the truths that would resonate with their inner being:
Clarity under pressure
Confidence without arrogance
Delegating with trust
Inviting perspectives without losing momentum
Making timely decisions without chasing perfection
Knowing what truly deserves their attention
Empowering others to decide, instead of controlling outcomes
What’s fascinating is that they begin to realize something powerful:
Decision making isn’t just about decisions. It’s about identity.
It’s about who they are being while they decide.
Effective Decision making is a leadership multiplier
As we explore further, they start connecting the dots.
Better decision making naturally strengthens:
Delegation
Empowerment
Bringing a Coaching mindset
Collaboration
Consensus building
Speed with quality
Reduced micromanagement
Less stress and second-guessing
In other words, improving decision making improves everything.
It becomes a leadership multiplier.
One leader recently said to me:
“I thought I needed better answers. I realize now I need better clarity on what deserves my decision in the first place.”
That awareness alone changed how he showed up with his team.
From pressure to possibility
What I love most about these conversations is the transformation in energy.
Leaders often walk in, feeling burdened by decisions. They walk out seeing decisions as opportunities to:
build trust
grow their people
create ownership
focus on what matters most
and lead more intentionally
Instead of asking, “What’s the right decision?”they begin asking,“How do I want to lead through this decision-making opportunity?”
That’s a very different question.
And it creates very different leaders and outcomes!
A question for you
If you’re in a leadership role, consider this:
If you became the decision maker you aspire to be, what would be true about you?
What would change about:
how you delegate?
how your team experiences you?
how quickly you act?
how confident you feel?
how much space you create for others to lead?
Because at the end of the day, my work isn’t just about helping clients make better decisions. It’s about helping them imagine themselves at their best — and then grow into becoming that leader.
Call to Action: Is improving the way you deal with decision making, critical for your leadership success? Take he important decision and book a complimentary Discovery call, using that option from my website: www.SuccessSupport.ca
Back to my LinkedIn post
Comments