In Uncertain Times, Ask These Questions Before You Make a Decision - Cheryl Strauss Einhorn

Cheryl Strauss Einhorn suggests four questions before you make a decision

Question 1: “What decision today will still make sense a year from now?”

• Encourages leaders to think beyond immediate outcomes to long-term impacts—a hallmark of systemic feedback awareness.
• Avoids the “Fixes That Fail” systems thinking archetype by warning against quick wins that may erode resilience.

Question 2: “If this decision were held up as an example of our leadership, what would it teach?”

• Promotes reflection on organisational identity, not just efficiency.
• Invites mental model awareness—leaders are asked to think about the beliefs and assumptions their decisions express and reinforce.

Question 3: “What if this isn’t the storm—what if it’s the climate?”

• Transitions from viewing disruptions as isolated “events” to viewing them as part of a systemic pattern or structure.
• Encourages adaptation, not reaction—essential for dynamic systems operating in VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) environments.

Question 4: “What’s the cost of waiting?”

• Engages with the trade-off between precision and momentum, recognizing that inaction also has feedback effects (lost trust, momentum, competitive edge).
• Encourages deliberate risk framing, moving beyond simplistic cost-benefit analysis.