Who Decides Who Decides?

You’ve probably seen it happen.

You put in place a clear structure for decision-making. The team has talked through the Decision Tree, clarified which calls are root, trunk, branch or leaf... everyone agrees.

Then something subtle (or not so subtle) creeps in:

·       A leader sidesteps the agreed process and makes a unilateral call that impacts others.

·       A team member second-guesses their authority—again—and escalates unnecessarily.

·       A decision is re-opened, not because the facts changed, but because the most senior person wants to “have another look.”

What’s going on?

The issue isn’t the model. It’s what’s underneath it.

Because decision clarity isn’t just procedural—it’s relational.

The Real Blockers to Decision Clarity

In coaching conversations with senior teams, a few themes show up regularly that get in the way of decision authority being respected and lived:

🧠 Power and ego. Even in collaborative teams, subtle status dynamics are at play. Sometimes, people defer to hierarchy even when it’s not required—or override it, because they believe their view carries more weight.

🫤 Fear of consequences. “If I make the wrong call, will it affect how I’m seen?” This fear drives over-escalation, hesitation, and the habit of “checking in” rather than deciding.

🔄 Old habits and grey zones. Maybe the team has changed, or the organisation’s grown—but old habits die hard. Decisions that used to be centralised haven’t been formally redistributed. Authority is assumed, not agreed.

🗣️ Unspoken expectations. Sometimes, people simply haven’t had the conversation. Or they have, but everyone walked away with different interpretations.

What High-Performing Teams Do Differently

When I work with aligned, high-trust teams, decision clarity is never a one-off exercise. It’s built into the fabric of how they operate:

✔ They surface the blockers. What’s really making this hard to embed? Let’s name it.

✔ They talk about the patterns, not just the moments. “This keeps happening. Why?”

✔ They review decisions regularly—what worked, what didn’t, and where the team slipped into confusion or control.

✔ They coach each other back to clarity. “Is this a branch or a root decision?” becomes common language.

Your Leadership Conversation for This Month

Bring this question to your next team meeting:

“Where are we still fuzzy on decision authority—and what’s getting in the way?”

Then follow it up with:

·       “What do we need to revisit or refresh?”

·       “What behaviours do we each need to shift?”

·       “How do we back each other in, especially when decisions are tough?”

You’ll be surprised what opens up when the team creates space to reflect together—not just escalate upward.

Final thought:

It’s easy to say “empower your team.”It’s harder to say, “I trust you to own this—and I’ll let go.”

But that’s where decision clarity starts.