For leaders, navigating complexity, ambiguity, and constant opportunity is a given. Under these circumstances, clarity is one of the most powerful practices to aid in high-stakes decision making.
When clarity is absent, uncertainty fills the gap. We second-guess ourselves or chase opportunities that are exciting, yet have an opportunity cost that can be quietly draining. We seek to capitalize on opportunity while simultaneously managing risk. Over time, acting with lack of clarity can drive sub-par decisions that erode focus, confidence, and ultimately impact.
Simplify the Process
For me, the value of clarity revealed itself when I realized how much energy I was spending debating decisions about whether or not to pursue various business opportunities. When presented with an opportunity, the difficult question of whether or not to pursue the opportunity at hand boiled down to something much simpler: “Is this business opportunity aligned with my values?” That insight led me to co-design a decision-making tool that I still use today: a values-alignment spreadsheet.
At its core, the tool is simple. Every time I discern how to spend my resources – such as time, capital, attention, effort, network, etc. – I run the opportunity through the spreadsheet. The tool is grounded explicitly in my personal values, and each value is weighted based on how much it matters to me, with additional weighting based on short-term and long-term costs and benefits, financial and otherwise.
To be clear, values alignment does not mean ignoring economics. It means being honest about what actually matters. For example, the tool is personalized in my case to include a weighting for financial performance as a value, in addition to societal impact as a value. Presence with my family is another weighted value. Each person’s values are entirely personal, as is how we prioritize those values in the short-term and long-term. I am thrilled to have a business decision making tool that enables me to navigate with clarity as my leadership journey and life journey evolve.
Because each business opportunity is evaluated across multiple dimensions, the tool requires me to look at both short-term and long-term implications. I am not optimizing for the next quarter; I am invested for the long game. That temporal distinction matters. Many decisions look attractive in the short-term but quietly undermine long-term goals; patience is required before their value becomes visible.
At the end of the process, once I filter business opportunities according to my values, the spreadsheet calculates a score between 1-100. When an opportunity scores 90 or above, I move forward with confidence because I am clear about the opportunity’s alignment with my values, and I can determine how to resource it fully without hesitation. Conversely, when an opportunity scores below 90, I stop pursuing it. Not because it is a bad idea, but because it is not strongly aligned with my values. That distinction has been liberating because I now have a quantitative approach to align how I spend resources in accordance with values-driven business decision making.
Why Simplify?
The tool has helped me walk away from projects that were exciting or flattering but misaligned. In the past, I might have rationalized those pursuits. Now, the decision is grounded in a data-driven, values-driven process. The spreadsheet does not replace judgment, but it does aid in making decisions more objective.
Equally important, the tool has given me the resolve to double down. When an opportunity scores 90 or above, proving it is values-aligned, I stop hedging and act decisively. Fear thrives in ambiguity; it struggles in the presence of structure.
The Value of Clarity
In a world filled with endless inputs and competing priorities, I appreciate having a quantitative lens for evaluating business prospects. I find peace in having a filter that translates my values into a clear response to business opportunities. The output is not certainty about outcomes, rather confidence in values alignment in the short- and long-term.
This approach also reinforces personal discipline. It requires me to define my values explicitly, revisit them regularly, and accept the consequences of honoring them. In other words, clarity is not passive. It demands consistency and the courage to disappoint people, including versions of oneself that are driven by scarcity or ego.
Leaders are often told to “trust their gut.” I believe in intuition, but I also believe intuition is sharpened by structure and process. Values-aligned tools for decision making create the conditions where intuition and discipline work together to propel the mission forward.
In moments of pressure, clarity is a gift to myself and to those who depend on my leadership. It enables me to move confidently toward my aspirations. Over time, this disciplined process builds confidence rooted in values.
I am curious: Would access to a values-based business decision-making tool be useful to you as you navigate your own leadership decisions?