Have you ever watched a group of people try to decide where to order lunch? One person wants pizza. Someone else is avoiding carbs. Another person says, “I don’t care,” then vetoes the next three suggestions. And 20 minutes later, everyone is still hungry.

Now put higher stakes on the decision: hiring someone, investing money, changing direction, confronting a problem or taking a career risk. Decision-making gets much more difficult.

One of the biggest decisions I ever made was becoming an entrepreneur. There was no flashing neon sign saying, “Paul, this is definitely going to work!” I had to weigh the options, assess the risks, seek wise counsel – and eventually make the decision.

That’s what leaders do. Businessman T. Boone Pickens said being willing to make decisions is “the most important quality in a good leader.” He warned leaders not to fall victim to the ready-aim-aim-aim-aim syndrome. At some point, you have to fire.

Most of us fall somewhere on a decision-making continuum. On one end is the itchy trigger-finger leader: “I’ve made the decision. Boom! Everybody line up behind me.” On the other is the never-unholster-the-gun leader: “Maybe if we wait long enough, this problem will go away.” Neither extreme is healthy.

Often what keeps us stuck is fear: fear of what others will think, fear of failure, or fear that we’ll regret not choosing the other option. Fear makes us self-protective. We become less curious and more controlling. Instead of asking, “What’s possible?” we focus on protecting what we already have.

Courageous decision-making doesn’t mean eliminating fear. It means refusing to let fear make the decision for you.

Here’s a seven-step process I use to help leaders do that.

1. Uncover the real issue.

Before jumping to solutions, clearly define the decision. Write it down. There’s something powerful about forcing yourself to put the issue into one sentence. We often discover that the problem we’ve been trying to solve isn’t actually the problem.

As Stephen Covey famously illustrated, there’s no benefit in quickly climbing a ladder if it’s leaning against the wrong wall.

Ask: What exactly am I trying to decide?

2. Get clear on why.

Next, write a simple purpose statement explaining why this decision matters.

Ask yourself: What am I trying to accomplish? What is my desired result? What am I expecting this decision to produce? If the decision feels overwhelming, break it into smaller pieces. “Overwhelmed” often means the chunks are simply too big to handle. Clarity shrinks complexity.

3. Run the decision through your filters.

Before making an important decision, run it through several filters.

What do trusted mentors say? What does your experience tell you? Does this move you toward your vision? Does it align with your values? Do you have the time, money and people required? Is this a temporary fix or a long-term solution?

And one of my favorite filters: Is this moving me forward toward growth – or backward toward safety? 

Your gut feeling can also be useful, but intuition should be one filter, not the only filter.

4. Do your homework.

Don’t fall in love with your first solution.

Gather information. Talk with your team. Seek people who have faced similar decisions. Look for facts that might challenge what you already believe. French philosopher Émile Chartier observed, “Nothing is more dangerous than an idea when it’s the only one we have.”

That’s especially important for leaders. The higher you climb, the easier it becomes to assume you already know. You don’t. Great decisions usually require curiosity before certainty.

5. Weigh your options.

Here’s an incredibly sophisticated leadership tool: a piece of paper with a line down the middle. Advantages on one side. Disadvantages on the other.

For each option, consider the potential benefits and consequences. Who will be affected? What’s the ripple effect? What’s the worst-case scenario – and could you live with it?

I also like Suzy Welch’s 10-10-10 rule: How will I feel about this decision 10 minutes from now? Ten months from now? Ten years from now?

Watch for four decision-making traps: emotional decisions, time-pressure decisions, overconfidence, and sunk-cost bias. Just because you’ve already poured time or money into something doesn’t mean you should keep pouring.

6. Identify the priority.

After considering your options, identify the best course of action and put the remaining actions in order. Then give your decision one final inspection.

Is the risk reasonable or reckless? Does this decision play to your strengths? Can you handle the consequences if things get difficult? Are you passionate enough to follow through? And, most importantly, are you willing to take responsibility for the outcome? Great leaders don’t blame everyone else when their decisions don’t work. They own them, learn from them and adjust.

7. Pull the trigger

Fighter pilots use the OODA Loop: Observe. Orient. Decide. Act.

Many leaders are pretty good at the first two. Then they keep observing. And orienting. And researching. And holding another meeting. Eventually, courageous leaders have to decide.

Make the best decision you can with the information you have – and move. Even huge decisions determine only part of the final outcome. You will still have opportunities to adjust, learn and course correct. A decision isn't necessarily permanent. It’s often simply your next best move. And when you’re still stuck, ask the questions Andy Stanley recommends:

• What is the wisest thing to do?
• What is wisest in light of my past experience?
• What is wisest in light of my current circumstances?
• What is wisest in light of my future hopes and dreams?

You might also ask: What would my most trusted mentor do? What would I tell my best friend to do if they were facing this decision?

Then summon your courage. Leadership isn't about always making the perfect decision. There is no such thing. But it is about doing your homework, listening to wise voices, evaluating the risks, making the best decision you can – and being willing to own what happens next. Leaders are known for the problems they solve. And problems don’t get solved while we’re stuck in ready-aim-aim-aim-aim.

At some point, you must pull the trigger.

Paul D. Casey lives in the Tri-Cities and is the owner of Growing Forward Services, which aims to equip and coach leaders and teams to spark breakthrough success.