Running a business means making hundreds of decisions—big and small—every week. Sometimes, those decisions carry weight: choosing a new hire, handling a crisis, pivoting your offer, or making a risky investment. When the pressure is on, how do you make the right call?
The best entrepreneurs don’t just “go with their gut.” They build frameworks for decision-making that reduce stress, increase clarity, and boost their odds of success.
Here’s how you can do the same.
Related – Don’t Let the Glamor or Pressure of Entrepreneurship Destroy You
Pressure Exposes Your Process (Or Lack of One)
Most bad decisions aren’t the result of bad intentions—they’re the result of reactive thinking. You feel rushed. You’re emotional. You’re too close to the problem.
That’s when costly mistakes happen.
When you have a decision-making process in place, pressure doesn’t shake you as easily. You have a clear approach that gives you room to breathe and respond—not just react.
Step 1: Zoom Out Before You Zoom In
When tension rises, our vision narrows. We get tunnel focus. We obsess over the one problem right in front of us.
Good CEOs do the opposite.
They ask:
- “What’s the bigger picture here?”
- “What will matter most 6 months from now?”
- “Is this a short-term reaction or a long-term move?”
Take a moment to zoom out. Ask yourself if the decision aligns with your mission, your business model, and your ideal customer. If it doesn’t—it’s likely the wrong decision, no matter how urgent it feels.
Step 2: Use a Decision Filter
Here’s a simple framework you can use to filter high-pressure choices:
- Is this aligned with our core values?
- Is this solving a root problem—or just the symptom?
- Do I have enough data—or am I guessing?
- What’s the worst-case scenario—and can we survive it?
- Who else should weigh in?
If you can’t answer these questions clearly, it’s worth pausing. Rushing a half-informed decision almost always costs more than taking an extra 24 hours.
Step 3: Limit the Emotion, Not the Empathy
Emotion clouds logic. Empathy sharpens it.
Yes, you care. You should. But you also have to separate the feeling of the moment from the facts of the situation.
One helpful trick: write down your decision rationale as if you had to explain it to an investor. This forces you to ground your logic and strip out the emotion.
You can be human—and still be clear-headed.
Step 4: Don’t Decide Alone
Even if you’re the founder or CEO, it doesn’t mean you should go solo.
Build a small circle of advisors—mentors, team leaders, business peers. When things get tough, ask for perspective. Often, a 10-minute conversation with someone you trust will unlock clarity you couldn’t find on your own.
You don’t need consensus. But you do need counsel.
Step 5: Decide, Then Move
The worst decision? No decision.
Business rewards momentum. Once you’ve run through your framework, made the call, and communicated it to your team—move. Overthinking leads to missed opportunities and wasted time.
And remember: not every decision will be perfect. But most decisions can be adjusted. You’re not looking for perfect—you’re looking for progress.
Final Thought: Pressure Is a Privilege
Feeling pressure means you’re in the game. You’ve built something worth protecting, steering, and growing.
Instead of fearing high-stakes decisions, build confidence by practicing calm, structured decision-making. Use every tough call as a training ground for your future CEO self.
Your business—and your team—will thank you for it.
