One of the most important responsibilities of a leader is the ability to make sound decisions. Your decisions determine:
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How your department grows,
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How your team performs,
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How your credibility strengthens,
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And how your organization moves forward.
But many leaders — especially in Nigerian workplaces — do not make decisions strategically. Instead, they decide based on:
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Pressure from senior management
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Emotion from workplace conflict
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Fear of being blamed if something fails
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Urgency created by others
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What seems easiest in the moment
These kinds of decisions produce reactive leadership, not strategic leadership. The result is waste — wasted time, wasted effort, wasted resources, and wasted opportunities.
Strategic leaders make decisions deliberately, not emotionally.
They evaluate opportunities intelligently before committing.
This article will show you exactly how to do that, using a clear, repeatable model that works across industries and sectors.
Why Decision-Making Is Hard for Leaders
Leaders do not struggle with decision-making because they are weak.
They struggle because leadership reality is complex.
1. Too Many Opinions and Directions
In most organizations, everyone has an opinion:
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Staff believe they know the easiest path.
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Colleagues push what benefits them.
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Executives and boards want results quickly.
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Clients demand exceptions.
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Family and friends advise based on fear or desire for safety.
The leader’s role is not to please these voices.
The leader’s role is to filter, evaluate, and choose what aligns with strategy.
2. Pressure to “Do Something Quickly”
In our culture, speed is often mistaken for competence.
A manager who delays is seen as weak or confused.
But speed without clarity produces waste.
For example:
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Saying “yes” to a partnership before checking capacity.
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Promising delivery timelines without confirming resources.
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Hiring quickly instead of hiring correctly.
Speed is helpful — after direction is clear.
3. Fear of Making the Wrong Choice
Every leadership decision carries consequence and accountability.
Some leaders fear:
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Being judged
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Being criticized
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Failing publicly
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Making irreversible mistakes
So they delay.
But delay itself is a decision — and usually the worst one.
Your power as a leader is not in how fast you act, but in how clearly you think.
Strategic clarity always precedes effective execution.
The ALC Strategic Opportunity Filter™
To evaluate any decision — partnership, project, hire, investment, policy, event, program, or strategy — use this 5-point decision filter:
| Criterion | Question to Ask | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Alignment | Does this align with our mission and priorities? | Misaligned decisions drain energy and resources. |
| Value | What meaningful and measurable value will this create? | Value-driven leadership ensures progress, not busyness. |
| Cost | What will this require in time, money, energy & attention? | Every opportunity has a price — hidden or visible. |
| Capacity | Do we currently have the people and systems to execute well? | Good ideas fail when capacity is weak. |
| Timing | Is this the right moment to get the best result? | Even the right decision fails when implemented prematurely. |
Let’s break each one down.
1. Alignment: Does This Move Us Forward or Distract Us?
Ask:
“Does this decision move us closer to our core objective?”
Many activities look good, feel exciting, or seem urgent — but they are not strategic.
Examples of misalignment:
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An NGO adding new programs because donors requested it, but losing focus on its core mission.
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A company chasing every client type instead of defining its ideal market.
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A church adopting trends from social media instead of deepening spiritual formation.
Alignment protects focus — and focus multiplies results.
Leadership maturity is the ability to say No, even when the decision is not popular.
2. Value: Does This Produce Real Impact or Just Activity?
Not everything that looks productive creates value.
Ask:
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What meaningful outcome will this decision produce?
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Who benefits — and how?
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Does this move us from where we are to where we want to be?
Activity makes teams busy.
Value makes teams effective.
Example (Corporate, Lagos):
A bank organizes weekly departmental meetings lasting 2 hours, but no decisions or documented actions follow.
High activity.
Low value.
Switching to 30-minute structured review sessions improved communication and execution.
3. Cost: What Price Will We Pay?
Every decision consumes:
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Time
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Money
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Staff energy
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Organizational attention
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Brand reputation
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Leadership emotional bandwidth
A decision may sound progressive but drain resources.
If cost > value, the decision is poor — even if it sounds strategic.
Example (SME, Abuja):
A business owner decided to launch a second shop before stabilizing the profitability of the first.
The result: both locations struggled, staff were overwhelmed, costs increased, and profitability fell.
The issue was not the idea — it was the timing and resourcing.
4. Capacity: Do We Have the Structure to Execute?
A good decision executed poorly becomes a failure.
Ask:
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Do we have people who know how to do this?
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Do they have the training, tools, and time?
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Can we sustain quality as we grow?
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Will leadership be able to support execution, not just announce it?
Capacity is not just about staff count.
It’s about competence, clarity, and structure.
If capacity is lacking, the next step is training or restructuring, not execution.
5. Timing: Is This the Right Moment?
Even the right strategy fails when implemented at the wrong time.
Examples:
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Launching a new product when cash flow is unstable.
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Introducing policy changes before trust is built.
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Expanding into new regions before internal culture is solid.
Timing is strategic intelligence.
Sometimes the wise decision is not No, but Not Yet.
Real Nigerian Workplace Examples
Case Example 1: Expanding a Branch
Context: A successful school in Abuja wants to open another campus in Kaduna.
| Filter | Evaluation |
|---|---|
| Alignment | Yes — expansion fits long-term vision. |
| Value | Increased enrollment and brand growth. |
| Cost | High — land, approval, staffing, vehicles. |
| Capacity | Weak — existing campus still facing coordination gaps. |
| Timing | Wrong — internal culture not stabilized yet. |
Strategic Decision:
Stabilize existing processes and leadership first → Expand next.
Expansion is not cancelled — it is sequenced strategically.
Case Example 2: Launching an Internal Leadership Academy
Context: A Christian ministry struggling with volunteer consistency wants to train internal leaders.
| Filter | Evaluation |
|---|---|
| Alignment | Yes — discipleship and leadership development are core values. |
| Value | Builds internal capacity and reduces burnout. |
| Cost | Moderate — can use internal trainers. |
| Capacity | Strong — trained pastors and senior leaders available. |
| Timing | Excellent — new workers just joined. |
Strategic Decision: Proceed immediately.
This is a high-leverage decision.
Case Example 3: Accepting a High-Profile Partnership
Context: A fast-growing consulting company is offered partnership by a multinational, but execution demands weekly travel.
| Filter | Evaluation |
|---|---|
| Alignment | Yes — matches brand direction. |
| Value | Strong credibility and revenue potential. |
| Cost | Very high — leadership distraction + team strain. |
| Capacity | Weak — company has only 4 senior consultants. |
| Timing | Not ideal — internal HR systems still informal. |
Strategic Decision:
Negotiate phased involvement → build internal leadership bench → accept partnership in 9–12 months.
Not No — Not Yet.
The Leader’s Weekly Decision-Making Routine
Set aside 30 minutes every week to reflect:
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What decisions did I make this week?
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Which were strategic, and which were emotional?
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What assumptions influenced my choices?
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What evidence supported or challenged those assumptions?
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What lesson can I apply to future decisions?
Leaders who review decisions grow faster than leaders who review activity.
How to Communicate Decisions Clearly
Even the best decision will fail if communicated poorly.
Use this script:
“Here’s the objective.
Here’s why we are choosing this direction.
Here’s what success looks like.
Here’s what each person is responsible for.
Here’s how we will track progress.”
People follow clarity, not authority.
When communication is unclear, resistance increases.
When direction is clear, execution accelerates.
Conclusion
Strategic decision-making is the difference between:
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Leaders who react, and
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Leaders who shape the future.
A strategic leader:
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Thinks carefully,
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Communicates clearly,
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Evaluates deliberately,
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Acts intentionally.
Your influence grows when your decisions are:
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Aligned with purpose
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Valuable in outcome
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Efficient in resource use
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Executable with available capacity
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Timed for effectiveness
This is how leaders earn:
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Respect
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Confidence
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Credibility
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And lasting authority
Consistently.
