10 Things Leaders Misunderstand About Decisions

Summary

Dan Rockwell (Leadership Freak) lists ten common misconceptions leaders have about decision-making, emphasising that disagreement, options and dissatisfaction drive better choices. The post delivers concise, practical truths — from insisting participants bring options to meetings, to evaluating decisions frequently and owning outcomes. It also stresses that compromise reveals values and that any viable option is legitimately on the table.

Key Points

Dissatisfaction provokes change; if you aren’t dissatisfied, you probably aren’t making a decision.
Real choices require multiple, well-formed options.
Chances are you don’t need more information—options matter more than overanalysis.
End decision meetings that avoid disagreement; they’re a waste of time.
Require everyone to bring at least one option to consider.
Disagree without being disagreeable; invite respectful challenge.
Have the team argue both for and against each option, regardless of preference.
Focus critiques on the option, not the person proposing it.
Once a decision is made, support it actively — ‘grab an oar and row’.
Evaluate decisions regularly and adapt as you go.

Content Summary

The piece opens by noting that agreeability dulls thinking: disagreement gives agreement meaning. Rockwell then presents ten short truths designed to make decisions faster and better by forcing options, encouraging constructive conflict and reducing analysis paralysis. Practical prescriptions include stopping harmony-only meetings, demanding proposals, debating options fully, and committing to execution after a decision.

He closes by reflecting on options and compromise: a workable option is genuinely an option, compromise reveals what you truly value, and choosing often requires courage to forgo alternative goods.

Context and Relevance

This brief post is highly usable for leaders, managers and team facilitators aiming to improve decision quality and speed. It ties into ongoing trends around agile ways of working, psychological safety and empowered teams — promoting dissent that is respectful and outcome-focused. Apply these rules when designing meeting norms, decision-rights or team rituals.

Why should I read this?

Short and punchy: it’s a handy cheat-sheet to stop pointless meetings and force better options onto the table. If you run teams, you’ll get immediately actionable rules to make decisions quicker and cleaner — try one of them tomorrow.