Some decisions carry more weight than they should.
You see it when something keeps getting pushed, or sits longer than expected without real movement. It is easy to assume that means it is a big call. Most of the time, it points to something else.
In my conversation with Mark Chipman, he shared how early in his career he realized he was not equipped for the responsibilities he had been given. Instead of forcing his way through decisions, he stepped back and focused on building what was missing. He invested in learning, surrounded himself with people who were stronger in key areas, and introduced more structure into how the business operated.
The decisions themselves did not get smaller. They just stopped feeling as heavy. That is the part that often gets missed.
When something feels unusually difficult, it is rarely about the decision itself. It is usually one of three things. The team is not ready to execute. The information is not strong enough to support a clear call. Or the path has not been broken down into steps that can be worked through.
Pushing harder does not fix that. It usually just slows everything down.
A better approach is to step back and ask what is actually missing, then build that piece first.
Take something you have been circling on and ask what is really making it hard. Is it capability, clarity, or structure?
Where is the friction coming from?
If something came to mind while reading this, I’d be interested to hear what it is.