Five Traits of Leaders Who Excel at Decision-Making

Exploring decisiveness through a kaupapa Māori leadership practice

In times of uncertainty, decision-making can feel heavy, risky, and uncomfortable. Yet research shared by David Tuckett in the MIT Sloan Management Review (Tuckett, 2025) suggests that some leaders navigate these moments with greater clarity and confidence — not by removing uncertainty, but by engaging with it differently.

Based on insights from more than 17,000 participants worldwide, the study identified five shared traits of leaders who excel at making decisions under pressure:

  1. They view change positively — seeing it as fertile ground for innovation and growth rather than a threat.

  2. They frame unexpected challenges as opportunities — reimagining disruption as an opening for exploration and progress.

  3. They tolerate uncertainty — moving forward with decisions as adaptive experiments, learning and adjusting as they go.

  4. They are fluent in failure — embracing it as an essential teacher rather than a permanent setback.

  5. They are grounded in optimism — maintaining a belief in positive outcomes, reducing decision paralysis and freeing cognitive space.

The research also revealed that nearly half of those surveyed regretted not acting when opportunities arose — a reminder that inaction carries its own cost.

How this connects to Kura Poutama – Poutama IQ Ascent Series

These traits closely mirror the practices we nurture within the Poutama IQ Ascent Series at Manawa Kōkopu. In our pathways, decisive, values-aligned leadership is developed through:

  • Clarifying values and intention — inviting participants to identify what matters most, creating a foundation for authentic engagement.

  • Whakawhanaungatanga with place — engaging with natural and cultural environments that carry whakapapa and evoke connection.

  • Story and metaphor — weaving pūrākau, lived narratives, and creative imagery that expand perspectives and spark reflection.

  • Embodied rhythm — guiding movement, breath, and attention practices that shift awareness from the everyday into expansive states.

  • Reflective integration — holding structured kōrero to translate insight into purposeful direction and aligned action.

In kaupapa Māori terms, decision-making is not only about choosing between options — it is about moving from māramatanga (clarity) into whakatinanatanga (embodiment) with integrity. The traits Tuckett describes speak to leadership that is comfortable in the space between knowing and acting, where uncertainty is not a barrier but a site for creative, values-driven choice.

Reflection for Leaders

  • Which of the five traits do you naturally embody in your leadership, and which could you strengthen to make more confident, kaupapa-aligned decisions?

Further Reading

Read Five Traits of Leaders Who Excel at Decision-Making in the MIT Sloan Management Review here.

References

Tuckett, D. (2025, February 27). Five traits of leaders who excel at decision-making. MIT Sloan Management Review. https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/five-traits-of-leaders-who-excel-at-decision-making/

Image credit: Tahere, K. (2025). Used with permission.

Author: Megan Tahere. (2025).

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