The Leadership Skill No One Teaches: Decision Velocity

Decision Velocity: Stop Bottlenecking Your Organization and Decide Faster

Host Steve Smith explains how slow decision-making makes leaders the hidden bottleneck in businesses and ministries, causing missed hires, lost deals, and stalled initiatives. He introduces “decision velocity,” arguing leaders should act with about 70% of the information for most choices, then learn by executing, rather than waiting for perfect clarity. Smith breaks decisions into Type One (hard to reverse, requiring more time and counsel) and Type Two (reversible, best made quickly), noting leaders often treat reversible decisions like irreversible ones. He provides a structured process for Type One decisions, a 24-hour rule for Type Two decisions, and emphasizes full commitment after deciding, since partial commitment kills initiatives. He shares a COVID-era building purchase example that enabled major school expansion, cites Proverbs 15:22 on wise counsel, and gives action steps to classify and deadline pending decisions.

00:00 Welcome and Audience
01:18 When Leaders Delay
03:05 Decision Velocity Framework
04:42 Type One vs Type Two
06:16 Type Two Examples
08:41 Decision Process and Deadlines
10:29 24 Hour Rule in Action
12:13 Commit Fully After Deciding
14:44 COVID Building Story
16:56 Wise Counsel Not More Data
19:05 Action Steps and Resources
21:10 Wrap Up and Share