Decision making can be stressful and anxiety inducing, but the ability to make decisions quickly is often what separates the most effective leaders from others. We connected with some of the best and brightest do-ers we know and asked them how they developed their decision-making skills.

Gena McCown

I have always been a strong, independent thinker, who knew exactly what I wanted and bucked at anyone who questioned my decisions. My mother said, around the age of two, that I told her “you are not the boss of me”. I do believe that there are people who are born with an innate amount of leadership and self-direction. I would be lying if I didn’t say that some of that was rooted in fear and self preservation. It is an attempt to control what we can control, as much as we can. Read More>> 

Danting Li

I developed my decision-making skills through real-world design experience, where I’ve had to consistently balance aesthetics, usability, client goals, and technical constraints. One defining moment was leading a branding and e-commerce project with a tight deadline. When the developer’s delays risked the outcome, I made the tough call to replace them, restructure the workflow, and keep the project on track.  Read More>>

Jasmine Yang

For me, decision-making has turned less about logic (which is still needed) and more about learning to trust my intuition. I used to overanalyze every choice: seeking advice, second-guessing myself, and spinning in “what-ifs.” But over time, I realized that clarity doesn’t comes from getting quieter, and letting the whisper of inner knowing take the stage. Read More>>