The Hidden Patterns Sabotaging Your Decisions—And How to Fix Them

Are Your Decisions Holding You Back? Here’s How to Level Up Your Leadership—Faster

Every leader wants to make better decisions quicker, smarter, and with fewer regrets. But if you’ve ever paused and thought, “How did this go so wrong?”—you’re not alone. Even the most capable executives fall into invisible traps that stall progress and sabotage results.

That’s exactly what I explored with Dr. Alan Barnard, renowned decision scientist and expert in the Theory of Constraints. His client list includes industry giants like Microsoft, SAP, and Intel. His mission? To understand why good people make bad decisions and how to break the cycle.

Here’s what I learned and how you can avoid costly decision making missteps before they derail your leadership.

Why Smart Leaders Keep Repeating the Same Mistakes

Dr. Barnard’s fascination with decision-making began early. Raised in South Africa, he was drawn to what enabled some people to rise above difficult circumstances while others stayed stuck. His conclusion: It came down to the quality of their decisions and the assumptions behind them.

Our decisions aren’t purely rational. They’re shaped by hidden forces: the beliefs we hold, the emotions we avoid, and the mental shortcuts we’ve internalized over time.

Try this:

Before your next big decision, ask: “What assumptions or beliefs are driving this choice?”
You can’t change what you can’t see. Clarity starts by uncovering the hidden story.

Emotions Aren’t the Problem. Avoiding Them Is.

Let’s debunk a myth: great leaders don’t “set emotions aside.” As Dr. Barnard explains, emotions are essential to decision-making if you know how to use them.

Joy signals alignment. Anxiety highlights risk. Even anger can reveal where a boundary has been crossed. The challenge isn’t having emotions, it’s knowing whether they’re guiding or hijacking your decisions.

Leadership tip:

Ask yourself: “What emotion am I feeling—and what might it be trying to tell me?”
This pause can turn reactivity into reflection—and sharpen your judgment in high-stakes moments.

The 5 Decision-Making Traps Leaders Fall Into

Dr. Barnard identified five patterns that quietly sabotage leadership decisions. Spotting them is the first step to avoiding them:

1. Solving the Wrong Problem
   We waste time treating symptoms instead of the root issue.
   → Ask: “Why does this decision really matter? What’s the actual problem I’m solving?”
2. Jumping to Solutions Too Soon
   Rushing to “fix it” narrows your field of view.
   → Identify at least two real alternatives and weigh the trade-offs.
3. Ignoring Trade-Offs
   Great decisions often avoid either/or thinking.
   → Ask: “Is there a way to capture the upside of both options without doubling the downside?”
4. Dismissing Doubts
   Resistance from your team isn’t always negativity; it’s feedback.
   → Ask: “What would need to change for this idea to succeed?”
5. Failing to Test Ideas First
   Don’t rely on experience alone, rely on experiments.
   → Run a low-risk test. Small pilots yield fast feedback and smarter outcomes.

How to Use AI—Without Outsourcing Your Judgment

Dr. Barnard’s Harmony Decision Maker app walks leaders through a structured process to surface blind spots and reduce bias. With AI integration, it can even map the logic behind your decision and flag weak links.

But let’s be clear: tools like Harmony don’t replace leadership judgment. They challenge and refine it.

Your move:

Before your next big call, walk through a structured decision process on paper, with a coach, or using tech. Bring structure, but keep yourself behind the wheel.

3 Bonus Insights That Stuck with Me

• The team question that reveals hidden fears:
  “What’s holding us back from fully committing to this?”
• The difference between a ‘Hell Yes’ and a ‘Maybe’:
  If it’s not a full-body yes, treat it as a no—or dig deeper.
• When self-blame helps—and when it hurts:
  Taking responsibility builds trust. But taking all the blame keeps your team from learning with you.

Bottom Line

If you want to lead at the next level, decision-making is your leverage point. Not just faster decisions, but better, clearer, more aligned ones.

There’s no magic formula—but there is a better way.

Ready to level up your decision-making? Meritage Leadership’s programs for executives are designed to help you unlock your leadership potential. Contact us to learn more today.