A key factor in business success is often said to be good decision-making. But it's a mistake to focus too narrowly on the decision itself. There's a broader organisational ability that connects your "openings for action" with the results you want to deliver. I call that capability Decision Power. Making a decision is only one step on the road to results, not even the first one. Before you can make a decision you must recognise there's a decision to be made. Then you need to creatively shape and evaluate the choices - the good ones aren't always immediately obvious. Of course, after the decision you do need to take action. And, having done so, you need to make sure you get the intended results.
In many businesses, these steps are separated from each other, often leading to delayed action and reduced impact. The way in which a decision is made has a huge impact on the speed and completeness of its implementation - yet this is often ignored in an attempt to make the "best" decision.
In today's complex and fast-changing world, business leaders need to move beyond trying to optimise their decision-making. They need to consider how much Decision Power their organisation has - and what their role is in building it.