"The myth of the decisive leader"

We love the idea of the decisive leader.

The one who cuts through the noise. Makes bold calls. Doesn’t flinch. Doesn’t dither.

And sometimes, that kind of decisiveness really is needed, especially when a team is stuck in analysis paralysis.

But here’s the danger:

So when the decision leads to a bad outcome, the decisive leader doesn’t adapt.
They double down.
They spin.
They hide the truth.
They blame others.
They hope it’ll pass.

Because if your authority depends on being right, you can’t afford to be wrong.

But in complex work, everyone is wrong sometimes.

What matters isn’t how confidently you decide.
It’s how clearly you think.
How well you listen.
How open you are to what emerges.
And how much trust you’ve built with the people around you.

Because in complexity, leadership isn’t about having the answers.
It’s about how you participate in discovering them.

Where might you be clinging to decisiveness when what’s needed is honesty?

Until next time,
Dermot
​The Messy Middle

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