Every day, people and businesses find themselves at a crossroads of choices.
Each moment presents them with a landscape of possibilities, where paths diverge and destinies await.
To navigate these landscapes, as humans, you must cultivate the art of decision-making, transforming potential into reality and shaping the very structure of your life or business.
Decision-making is not merely a task, but a powerful act of creation. It is in these moments of choosing, where alternatives shimmer with possibility, that people unlock their potential and define the course of their future.
Some people think that making decisions is about flipping a coin. Pizza or pasta? Why discern when you can decide? Please…
Other people want to avoid the hard stuff. They want to avoid the agonizing questions. They think that not deciding is neutral.
And It’s not neutral. It’s a default. They’re defaulting on their lives. They’re letting others dictate their path. And I’ll tell you something, that’s not living. That’s existing. It’s a tragedy… after all.
Others are drowning in data, chasing trends, and calling it „strategy”. They think they’re rational. They’re predictable. They follow the herd and build yesterday’s products with yesterday’s solutions.
Let me tell you something: True innovation doesn’t come from spreadsheets. It comes from insight.
Reality bites. In business, in any field that matters, decisions are brutal. They’re complicated.
You don’t just pick a shirt. You don’t just choose a maintenance schedule.
Is not just about analyzing information. Everyone can do that. It’s about understanding it. Seeing what others miss.
You analyze, you scrutinize, You use empirical and scientific methods.
You need critical thinking: question everything. Especially your own assumptions. Tear apart conventional wisdom and don’t just accept the data – challenge it.
You dig deep. You understand the core, the essence. You discern.
This is where the magic happens. It’s about seeing the subtle. It’s about feeling the pulse of the market, understanding the unspoken needs. It’s intuition, honed by experience, sharpened by relentless curiosity.
Judgment? This is where you act. Not based on what’s safe, but on what’s right. This is where you make the bold, the audacious, the insanely great decisions.
And you can’t outsource this. You can’t fully automate it.
This is about human brilliance: Think different. Discern deeply. Judge boldly.
Because the difference between a good decision and a great one? It’s the difference between a company that changes the world and one that fades into obscurity. It’s the difference between a life lived with purpose and one wasted in default mode.
Many people, especially in business, see connecting with what they are thinking or feeling – during the decision-making process – as if it were some kind of dangerous indulgence.
But that’s the heart of it! That’s where innovation comes from! That’s where you find the fire that drives you.
If you’re afraid of introspection, if you’re afraid of facing yourself, then you’re afraid of creating something worthwhile.
You’re missing the point. You’re boiling down the human experience, the very essence of creation, to a binary choice. And it’s not about the choice. It’s about the why.
Why are you making a mountain out of a molehill? Why are you wrestling with this decision? That’s where the gold is. That’s where you find the truth – the core of who you are, what you value.
It’s not about judgment alone. It’s about understanding. It’s about seeing beyond the surface.
Often the most important decisions are not made in an instant. They are forged in the fires of contemplation.
In the long, lonely hours of questioning. In the relentless pursuit of understanding.
It’s not linear. It’s a cycle. Critical thinking. Discernment. Judgment. They’re all part of the same process. You can’t separate them.
You want tips? You want principles? Fine. Here’s one: Think different. Don’t just accept the status quo. Don’t settle for the easy answers. Question everything. Push the boundaries. Dive deep. Look beyond the obvious.
And remember this: the journey is the reward. The struggle, the agonizing, the discernment – that’s where the magic happens. That’s where you find the truth. That’s where you create something truly insanely great.
Don’t default. Don’t settle. Don’t let anyone tell you it’s just about „deciding.” It’s about understanding. It’s about creating. And that takes more than just a simple decision. It takes everything you’ve got.
You think that’s soft? You think that’s not for business? Let me tell you: use your discernment – it’s the most powerful tool you will ever wield.
Here’s how you do it:
- Connect. Intentionally. Consistently.
Think about it. Did Henry Ford ask people if they wanted mass-produced automobiles? No. He saw the inefficiency, the bottleneck, the pain of transportation, and he solved it.
Did Steve Jobs ask people if they wanted a computer they could carry in their pocket? No. He felt the yearning for information, for connection, for power in the palm of your hand.
They listened to the quiet whisper in their gut. The nagging feeling that something was missing, that something could be so much better. They saw the world not as it is, but as it could be.
It’s not about market research. It’s about vision. It’s about conviction. It’s about feelings.
They immersed themselves in the problem. They obsessed over the details. They didn’t compromise. They built something insanely awesome.
And when they finally unveiled it, people didn’t say, „Oh, how beautiful!” People said, „How did I ever live without that?”
The secret? They didn’t give people what they asked for. They gave them what they needed, what they craved, what they didn’t even know was possible.
So, don’t just look at data. Data is a rearview mirror. Feel the pulse of the world, of the people. Connect to that something inside that whispers, „This is it.”
You want to know how to build something that matters? Something that changes the game? You want to know how to cut through the noise and create something truly disruptive?
Let me tell you something: Focus groups are a waste of time.
They’ll tell you what they think they want. They’ll give you incremental improvements, minor tweaks, the same old, same old. They’ll tell you they want a faster horse, not a car. They’ll tell you they want a slightly better phone, not a pocket computer.
But you? You’re not building for today. You’re building for tomorrow.
You’re not asking „What do they want now?” You’re asking „What will they desperately need next?” You’re tapping into the latent desires, the things they can’t even articulate yet.
You don’t listen to the crowd. You lead the crowd.
So, stop asking. Start building. Start listening to your intuition more. Stop playing it safe.
Because that’s what true innovation is. It’s not about being right all the time. It’s about being willing to trust that gut feeling. That almost irrational sense of direction.
Connect to the core of what you are making, and connect to the core of the people who will use it.
2. Admit you don’t know
People often think they know everything. They think they’ve seen it all. And they’re wrong.
The moment you think you know, you stop learning. You stop growing. You stop innovating.
And in this world, if you’re not innovating, you’re dying.
Ego is your enemy. It’s that insidious voice in your head telling you that you’re the smartest person in the room, that you don’t need to listen, that you’ve got it all figured out.
That voice is a liar. The moment you think you have all the answers, you’re dead.
You think Steve Jobs knew how to build a phone? Do you think he knew how to revolutionize music?
No. Absolutely not. He knew how to ask questions. He knew how to find people smarter than him. He knew how to listen. To really listen, not just wait for his turn to speak.
Look at Netflix. Reed Hastings didn’t think he knew how to run the future of entertainment. He saw Blockbuster, he saw the changing landscape, and he asked, „What if?”
He didn’t cling to the status quo. He was willing to experiment, to fail, and to learn. He pivoted from DVDs to streaming, and then to original content, constantly adapting.
He was humble enough to know he didn’t have all the answers, and that humility fueled his innovation.
You need that same humility. You need to admit you need help. You need to be open to something more. You need to be willing to tear down your own assumptions and build something new.
Humility isn’t weakness. It’s a superpower. It allows you to see the world with fresh eyes, to absorb new information, to adapt. It allows you to see opportunities where others see obstacles. It allows you to build something truly extraordinary.
Don’t let your ego kill your potential. Don’t let your arrogance blind you to the possibilities. Embrace humility, embrace learning, and embrace the unknown. That’s where the magic happens.
3. Clarify the real problem
Too many people, too many companies, are chasing their own tails. They’re fixing symptoms.
They’re building a faster horse when the world needs a car. They’re putting a band-aid on a gaping wound.
It’s inefficient. It’s wasteful. It’s… frankly, it’s insulting to the potential that lies within each of us.
Let me give you a concrete example, something you all know: the personal computer.
In the early days, everyone was focused on specs. Memory, processing speed, disk drives. They were building faster horses. They were focusing on the symptoms of what people thought they wanted.
But Apple, they saw something different. They didn’t see a box with blinking lights. They saw a tool for empowerment. They saw a way to democratize information. They saw a way to unleash creativity. They saw a way to connect people.
The problem wasn’t just „I need a computer that does calculations faster.” The real problem was: „I need to access information, create, and connect with others in a meaningful way.”
And that’s why they focused on user experience. That’s why they focused on simplicity.
That’s why they focused on design. They didn’t just build a faster machine; They built an experience. They built the Macintosh.
Now look at the iPhone. Did they just build a phone with better call quality? No. They built a window to the world. They built a device that allowed you to access information, communicate, and entertain yourself seamlessly. They built a device that became an extension of yourself.
They saw the true problem: people wanted to be connected, informed, and entertained anywhere. Not just in their homes or offices.
The problem isn’t the symptom you see on the surface. It’s the underlying need. It’s the emotional core. It’s the human desire.
You have to dig deeper. You have to ask „why” five times, ten times, until you get to the root. You have to connect with the human spirit. You have to understand the true pain point.
And the only way to do that is through connection. Connection with your customers. Connection with your team. Connection with yourself.
Don’t just chase efficiency. Chase clarity. Chase understanding. Chase meaning.
Because when you truly understand the problem, the solution becomes obvious. It becomes elegant. It becomes… inevitable.
4. Discern hearts, not appearances
One of the paradoxes today…. the whole hiring process is broken. It’s a charade.
Companies are sifting through stacks of resumes, judging people based on their past, their titles, their fancy degrees. It’s like you’re trying to build a machine with pre-fabricated parts, instead of crafting a living, breathing, innovative organism.
If you’re looking for the perfect resume, the perfect fit, the perfect checklist, let me tell you something: there’s no such thing.
You’re looking for ghosts, for shadows of past accomplishments.
You’re missing the real people standing right in front of you.
You’re missing the fire. The passion. The drive.
You’re missing the intent.
You’re so focused on where someone went to school, what titles they held, what suit they wear, that you’re blind to the real potential.
You’re missing the individuals who are hungry, the ones who crave to create, the ones who wake up in the middle of the night with an idea burning in their minds.
Stop judging people by their past. Start judging them by their potential.
Forget the resumes. Forget the titles. Forget the polished presentations.
Look for the spark. Look for the person who lights up when they talk about their ideas. Look for the person who isn’t afraid to challenge the status quo.
You need to hire the people who burn with the same fire you do.
Care less about where they came from and care more about where they’re going. Care less about their qualifications and care more about their hunger.
You want to build something extraordinary? You want to create something that changes the game? Then you need to hire the people who are willing to bleed for it.
Stop looking for employees.
Start looking for the heart.
Start looking for the soul.
Start looking for the intent.
That’s where the innovation lives. That’s where you’ll find the people who will take your company to the next level.
The world is waiting for what you’re going to create. And you can’t do it with a team of robots. You need a team of artists, a team of dreamers, a team of doers, a team of people who are willing to break the mold.
5. Stay connected
If you want to build something extraordinary, don’t just chase data points. Chase the why behind them. Try to understand the principles that govern the universe, the market, the human spirit.
And for this…You need connection. You need source. You need inspiration. It’s not about dogma. It’s about truth. It’s about clarity, vision. It’s about seeing what is, and what could be.
You need to be in the trenches, with your team, listening to the whispers of your customers.
Feel their pain, understand their desires.
Even the harshest criticism is a gift, a raw, unfiltered insight into where you’re failing, where you can improve.
And above all, you need to hold on to that initial spark, that fire that ignited this whole thing.
The world will try to extinguish it, to tell you that you’re wrong. They’ll tell you to play it safe, to be reasonable. But „reasonable” never changed anything. „Reasonable” is the enemy of innovation.
You need to see what others can’t. You need to cut through the noise and find the signal.
Opening your mind doesn’t mean swallowing every idea whole. It means sifting, sorting, and retaining the gold
We’re living in a world that’s changing faster than ever. It’s not a linear progression anymore; it’s a chaotic dance. And most businesses are still trying to waltz to a record that skipped decades ago.
It’s like those guys in the military. The ones in the emergency rooms. We’ve all read about them. They don’t have time for perfect data or predictable results. They don’t have the luxury of waiting for market research to come back in six months. They’re making life-or-death decisions in real time, under pressure that would make most of you collapse.
That’s where we’re headed. This is the new reality we must prepare for.
And we need to talk about how we think: linear versus nonlinear. Let’s cut the jargon, shall we?
Linear decision-making: Predictable, sequential, budget allocation. Sounds like a machine. A well-oiled machine, perhaps. But a machine nonetheless.
It’s about efficiency. Optimization. It’s about getting from A to B in the straightest line possible. And sometimes, that’s necessary. It’s about building a solid foundation.
But then there’s this… nonlinear decision-making. Dynamic, unpredictable. Sounds like life. Sounds like innovation. Sounds like disruption.
This nonlinear stuff, it’s not about being messy or chaotic. It’s about being alive.
It’s about embracing the unknown and having the courage to say, „I don’t know, but I’m going to figure it out.”
So, yes, understand the difference. Know when to optimize, when to follow a protocol.
But don’t let those lines box you in. Don’t let them stifle your creativity. Don’t let them kill your intuition.
Because the best decisions, the ones that change the world, they don’t come from a spreadsheet. They come from … the gut. From the heart. They come from a place where the lines blur, and the impossible becomes possible.
You need to be able to pivot, to adapt, to respond to change at the speed of thought.
Your business needs to be agile, like water.
And for this? Simply connecting the dots that everyone else can see? Well, it’s not enough….
You need to see the patterns that are hidden beneath the surface.
It’s about anticipating, not just reacting.
You call it subjective? You call it mystical? I call it essential. I call it discernment.
It’s the ability to see what others can’t. It’s the ability to feel what others don’t. It’s the ability to know what others only guess.
You want to innovate? You want to disrupt? You want to change the world?
Then stop relying on data alone. Stop being afraid to trust your gut. Stop being afraid to use the word – discernment. It’s not a weakness. It’s a strength. It’s a superpower.
As Peter Drucker once said „The fewer data needed, the better the information. And an overload of information, that is, anything much beyond what is truly needed, leads to information blackout. It does not enrich, but impoverishes.”
Focus on what truly matters and make the difference between building a good business and building a great one.
Start today!
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„Whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision.”
If you are interested in collaborating with me (please see details on the Services page).or seeking a mutual exchange of value for the benefit of a wider community within a partnership, the way to reach out to me is by sending an email to monicarovcanin@klytie.eu or using the contact form on the website.
We are our decisions! Thank you for your time and for being part of this journey!
