The Wolf Doesn't Poll the Pack: A Masterclass in Decisive Leadership

I walked into the boardroom already knowing how it would end.

The team wanted to "workshop" the Q4 strategy. They wanted "alignment." They wanted to "pressure-test assumptions" and "create psychological safety for dissenting voices."

I felt the wolf stir.

Here's what they don't teach you in business school: The pack doesn't lead the wolf. The wolf leads the pack.

I thought to myself how many people mute their best decisions by asking one too many questions. While they were still building their Miro boards and scheduling their "sync-ups," I had already identified the path forward. The instinct was clear. The opening was there.

So I made the call.

Did I consult every stakeholder? No. Did I run it through the approval matrix? Not exactly. Did I wait for the "data to come in"?

The wolf doesn't wait for data.

Some people in that room looked uncomfortable. One person even asked if we should "table this for further discussion." I simply smiled and said, "Leadership means taking ownership when others are still raising hands."

If they only knew what trusting yourself actually unlocks.

Within 72 hours, the decision had proven itself. The CEO personally thanked me. The metrics moved. The pack fell in line—not because I demanded it, but because decisiveness creates its own gravity.

Here's the uncomfortable truth most people aren't ready to hear: Your best judgment is being diluted by consensus. Your sharpest instincts are being rounded down by committee. Your leadership is being focus-grouped into mediocrity.

I'm not saying ignore your team. I'm saying the wolf inside you knows things your spreadsheet doesn't. It moves when it senses the opening. It acts while others are still scheduling the meeting about whether to schedule the meeting.

That's leadership excellence.

Some people will understand this. Others will want to "unpack it in a working group." That's fine.

The wolf doesn't ask for permission.

Question for the pack: When was the last time you trusted your instinct over the org chart? Drop a 🐺 if you know.

#LeadershipExcellence #DecisiveLeadership #TrustYourInstinct #TheWolfWithin