Making decisions happen

Issue 231: Influencing through action

As people take on greater responsibilities in their work, the ability to influence decisions becomes increasingly important. Many assume this is achieved simply by sharing opinions. While some individuals can sway decisions through their opinions alone, it’s usually because they have built a track record of success and credibility. In reality, influencing decisions requires hard work, discipline, and a willingness to stake your reputation. At its core, decision-making involves creating tangible artifacts—through the act of making—that enable decisions to be reached. In this post, we’ll explore the key elements for effectively influencing decisions and how to adopt a proactive mindset of making things happen rather than waiting for them to happen to you.

Elements of influencing a decision

The first step in effectively influencing a decision is to deeply understand and acknowledge the current decision path. If you don’t demonstrate a clear grasp of the reasoning behind the existing trajectory, your perspective will likely be dismissed before it even gets considered. People are naturally resistant to ideas that seem to come from a place of misunderstanding. Therefore, before you propose an alternative, take the time to understand why the decision is gravitating in a particular direction. Ask yourself: What assumptions are driving this choice? What constraints or priorities have shaped it? Once you’ve mapped this out, you’ll be in a much stronger position to challenge the status quo with a well-reasoned perspective. To do this effectively, consider using the Steel Man Argument—a technique that requires you to articulate the opposing viewpoint in its strongest, most persuasive form. This not only demonstrates intellectual empathy but also builds credibility, showing that your critique is thoughtful rather than reactionary.

Once you have a firm grasp of the existing decision, it’s time to critique it. But rather than simply stating, “This is a bad idea,”—which can come across as dismissive or unconstructive—show why it falls short. A strong critique should dissect the flows, assumptions, and potential consequences of the decision. In art school, critique is considered one of the most powerful tools for improvement. Artists, designers, and writers analyze work in-depth, providing thoughtful assessments that help refine and elevate the final product. The same principle applies here: an effective critique isn’t just about pointing out flaws; it’s about identifying areas for improvement in a way that fosters growth and better decision-making.

Within your critique, it’s crucial to present your point of view clearly and assertively. Your perspective is a valuable input in any collaborative environment, but if it gets diluted or lost in the noise of shared discussions, it won’t have the impact it should. To ensure clarity, I recommend two techniques. First, draft a Point of View (POV) document, a concise but structured outline of how you see the issue. This is particularly useful in leadership or directive roles, as it helps align team members on what you believe versus what actions they need to take. Second, make a habit of explicitly framing your input in conversations. A simple yet powerful phrase like, “My point of view on this is…” can immediately clarify that you are sharing a perspective rather than issuing a directive, reducing potential confusion or misinterpretation.

However, a strong personal point of view isn’t enough—you need to translate it into a shared point of view. High-performing teams develop a shared language and a cohesive way of articulating ideas. Even subtle differences in wording can lead to misalignment, so it’s important to bridge these gaps. The goal isn’t for your perspective to “win,” but for it to serve as a valuable input that contributes to collective knowledge. When personal insights evolve into shared understanding, teams can align more effectively and make more informed decisions.

With alignment in place, the next step is to recommend a better solution. Critiquing a decision without offering a viable alternative is a fast track to losing credibility. If you’re going to challenge an idea, you need to bring something stronger to the table. This starts with clearly defining the problem statement—what specifically isn’t working, and why? But don’t stop there. Go a step further by offering a hypothesis on how to solve the problem. A well-articulated hypothesis demonstrates initiative, critical thinking, and a solutions-oriented mindset, which makes your input far more impactful.

Finally, one of the most powerful ways to solidify your argument and influence decision-making is to conduct a compelling demo. The best teams cultivate a strong demo culture because they understand that showing is always more persuasive than telling. Demonstrations remove ambiguity by making ideas tangible, enabling teams to see, interact with, and critique solutions in real-time. Instead of relying solely on abstract discussion, provide a shared artifact—whether it’s a prototype, a visual representation, or a working model—to anchor the conversation and build alignment around the proposed direction.

By following this approach—understanding the existing decision path, critiquing effectively, articulating your point of view, aligning with the team, recommending a better solution, and demonstrating it compellingly—you position yourself as a highly credible and influential voice in any decision-making process.

Optimize your work cadence for decision-making

When making a decision, you are not just choosing a path—you are actively constructing the desired outcome. Every decision shapes the trajectory of a project, a team, or even an entire organization. Because of this, decisions shouldn’t be treated as isolated moments that happen within the confines of a single meeting. Instead, they should be approached proactively, woven into the fabric of team rituals and ongoing discussions.

One common misconception is that decisions happen in meetings. In reality, they are often made between meetings. People don’t arrive at conclusions instantly; they mull over ideas, gather feedback, and process information over time. By the time the next meeting occurs, many decision-makers already have a direction in mind. This means that waiting for a formal meeting to voice your perspective is often too late. If you want to have influence, you need to engage decision-makers early—before their minds are made up.

Your responsibility, then, is to actively chase down decision-makers and provide them with the best possible inputs. This doesn’t mean aggressively pushing an agenda, but rather ensuring that they have the most complete and accurate information to make an informed choice. Be intentional about sharing key insights, presenting clear reasoning, and addressing potential blind spots before the decision is finalized. Great decision-making isn’t just about individual perspectives—it’s about equipping the right people with the right context at the right time.

And here’s the hard truth: if a decision is made that you strongly disagree with, and you failed to provide input beforehand, that’s on you. Influence isn’t about reacting after the fact—it’s about proactively shaping the conversation before a choice is locked in. If you don’t step up and contribute when it matters most, you can’t be surprised when the outcome doesn’t align with your expectations.

By embedding proactive decision-making into your team’s rituals—encouraging open discussions, sharing inputs early, and engaging decision-makers beyond formal meetings—you create an environment where better, more informed decisions become the norm.

Have conviction

Conviction is the single most important attribute of a leader. Leadership isn’t just about making decisions—it’s about having the courage to stand by them, even in the face of resistance. A true leader must be willing to live with the bets they are making, knowing that each decision carries weight and consequences. This means having the confidence to push for what you believe is right, even when it’s difficult or unpopular.

Throughout my career, I’ve had several moments where I stood my ground and pushed my point of view to the brink—even with a founder. I didn’t win every argument. I lost most of them. But that’s not the point. The true measure of leadership isn’t about winning every debate; it’s about ensuring that your perspective is heard and that it adds value to the conversation. And in those rare moments when a founder found something compelling in my argument and shifted course because of it—those became some of the biggest wins of my career. Not because I “won,” but because I influenced a decision in a meaningful way.

If you fail to influence the direction you believe in, someone else will do it for you. Decisions don’t just happen—great teams make them happen. They don’t passively wait for a direction to be set; they shape it. The difference between teams that lead and teams that follow is whether they assert their convictions or let decisions happen to them.

So, as a leader, your role isn’t just to participate—it’s to drive the conversation with clarity, confidence, and conviction.

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Hyperlinks + notes

A collection of references for this post, updates, and weekly reads.

• Remote work is a blessing and a competitive edge by Adrián Mato

• Medcast on SNL → The first time a company I worked at was on SNL

• Venture Capital and Private Markets in 2025 by Eric Newcomer

• DX Perspective: Accelerating Impact Through Weekly Calibration, Building Beloved Products, and New Input Paradigms by Rachel Kobetz