How To Make Decisions With Conviction—Even Under Pressure

Man standing at the crossroads of a decision
AdobeStock
Why strong leaders act when others hesitate — and how to develop that confidence without needing every answer.

I’ve watched smart, experienced leaders freeze. And I’ve been in that same position myself. It’s not because we lack information, but because we don’t feel ready to choose.

Leaders often get stuck because they’re waiting for the perfect moment to act. They’re thinking through the consequences, weighing the trade-offs, trying to get it right. But the longer they wait, the harder it becomes to move at all. The truth is that the worst decision isn’t always the wrong one. It’s the one you never make.

If you’re in a leadership role, you don’t always get the luxury of knowing. You have to move anyway. Not recklessly, not blindly, but with clarity, purpose and conviction.

In high-pressure moments, the gap between average leaders and great ones gets exposed. It’s not a gap in intelligence or experience. It’s a gap in decisiveness. Because conviction doesn’t mean certainty—it means making a clear choice in motion when the stakes are high and the outcome isn’t guaranteed.

One of the biggest challenges I see in leadership teams is the habit of waiting for total confidence before acting. But total confidence rarely comes in real time. And if you’re waiting for it, your team is waiting on you. That’s where things stall. Here are a few ways to build decision conviction in pressure moments.

1. Choose momentum over paralysis. Leaders who consistently move their teams forward have one thing in common: they make decisions under pressure—and they’re willing to get it wrong in service of getting it right. As one leader said simply: “I’d rather make the wrong decision and adjust than make no decision and stall.”

That mindset creates progress. It also builds trust. Teams don’t expect perfection from their leader. They expect clarity. They expect movement. Clarity builds confidence—especially when the path forward isn’t guaranteed. People follow leaders who are willing to move.

2. Don’t let fear drive inaction. In fast-moving organizations, even experienced leaders can find themselves frozen — not because they don’t know what to do, but because they’re afraid of making the wrong call. But when authority and purpose are clear, that overthinking shifts. Direction returns—and so does action.

3. Don’t wait for perfect. There’s a common belief in leadership that everything has to be lined up before action is taken. But you’ll never have all the data, and the best results often come from making the best call with the data you’ve got. Waiting for perfect often means waiting too long.

4. Make your decision visible. Don’t just decide—communicate. Let your team see your conviction. Make the rationale clear. Even if you adjust later, the confidence to lead forward is what creates alignment.

Decision-making under pressure isn’t a test of bravery. It’s a test of clarity. And clarity isn’t something you wait for. It’s something you create.


MORE LIKE THIS

Get the CEO Briefing

Sign up today to get weekly access to the latest issues affecting CEOs in every industry

upcoming events

Roundtable

Strategic Planning Workshop

1:00 - 5:00 pm

Over 70% of Executives Surveyed Agree: Many Strategic Planning Efforts Lack Systematic Approach Tips for Enhancing Your Strategic Planning Process

Executives expressed frustration with their current strategic planning process. Issues include:

  1. Lack of systematic approach (70%)
  2. Laundry lists without prioritization (68%)
  3. Decisions based on personalities rather than facts and information (65%)

 

Steve Rutan and Denise Harrison have put together an afternoon workshop that will provide the tools you need to address these concerns.  They have worked with hundreds of executives to develop a systematic approach that will enable your team to make better decisions during strategic planning.  Steve and Denise will walk you through exercises for prioritizing your lists and steps that will reset and reinvigorate your process.  This will be a hands-on workshop that will enable you to think about your business as you use the tools that are being presented.  If you are ready for a Strategic Planning tune-up, select this workshop in your registration form.  The additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.

To sign up, select this option in your registration form. Additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.

New York, NY: ​​​Chief Executive's Corporate Citizenship Awards 2017

Women in Leadership Seminar and Peer Discussion

2:00 - 5:00 pm

Female leaders face the same issues all leaders do, but they often face additional challenges too. In this peer session, we will facilitate a discussion of best practices and how to overcome common barriers to help women leaders be more effective within and outside their organizations. 

Limited space available.

To sign up, select this option in your registration form. Additional fee of $495 will be added to your total.

Golf Outing

10:30 - 5:00 pm
General’s Retreat at Hermitage Golf Course
Sponsored by UBS

General’s Retreat, built in 1986 with architect Gary Roger Baird, has been voted the “Best Golf Course in Nashville” and is a “must play” when visiting the Nashville, Tennessee area. With the beautiful setting along the Cumberland River, golfers of all capabilities will thoroughly enjoy the golf, scenery and hospitality.

The golf outing fee includes transportation to and from the hotel, greens/cart fees, use of practice facilities, and boxed lunch. The bus will leave the hotel at 10:30 am for a noon shotgun start and return to the hotel after the cocktail reception following the completion of the round.

To sign up, select this option in your registration form. Additional fee of $295 will be added to your total.