Make a Decision—and Make It Snappy

Today tariffs are 50%, but yesterday tariffs were zero, and tomorrow tariffs could return to 25%. This week, the financial markets were craving new bonds and stock buybacks, but last week, investors were running for the exits.

In 2025, one day can make the difference between a leader’s decision looking brilliant… or foolish. And experts say that CEOs and other senior leaders are feeling pressure to make decisions as Wall Street traders do—digesting information and immediately taking action, even as the constantly changing environment around them makes those choices far riskier. “Some of these decisions could cost companies hundreds of millions of dollars,” says Meredith Moot, a senior client partner in Korn Ferry’s Industrial Services practice.

Some leaders, having made some big decisions on capital and hiring right after the US election, have been thrown for a loop: Based on who won, they assumed business conditions would follow a certain pattern. That happens after every election, says Matt Bohn, a senior client partner in Korn Ferry’s Technology practice—but current conditions aren’t what leaders envisioned, and now the question of whether to adjust is testing them.

In most cases, making effective snap decisions isn’t easy for organizations. For example, a number of companies recently adjusted their global hiring practices based on new US policy changes. Now they’re finding that these adjustments might not work, for a variety of reasons, in different parts of the world. “There's a change in policy and then a company says, ‘Hold on a moment—how does this impact us at the local level?’” says Lucy Phillips, project manager for Korn Ferry based in the Middle East.

Leaders might feel that they have no choice but to make a snap decision, fearing that if they don’t, they’ll face a backlash from investors, employees, or governments. And if those stakeholders aren’t forcing the issue, Moot says, an organization’s suppliers or vendors might. Meanwhile, should any of these various parties announce a big investment in AI, or a switch to factory production in a different country, a leader may have to consider making their own change. “You have to keep up with the fastest decision-maker in your ecosystem,” Moot says.

Experts say that the best snap decisions aren’t made in the heat of the moment; rather, they come after leaders have laid the groundwork for them by asking good questions and analyzing information. Leaders should always be analyzing trend lines and patterns, Bohm notes. “As a leader, you can’t step out and be making decisions based on the daily news. It’s just too chaotic,” he says. Before making a decision, they should consider both the short- and long-term implications. Experts say most executives are very good at the former, less so the latter. 

Another way to make better snap decisions is to lower their risks. For instance, a client of Korn Ferry’s Scott Mag⁠uire is struggling to forecast its revenues amid so much uncertainty. For the same reason, the firm isn’t sure what type of full-time leader it needs for the long haul. The cost of making the wrong hire can be massive and take years to unwind. But rather than do nothing, the firm has quickly decided to pivot by bringing in an interim executive and tasking them with another corporate priority: keeping costs in check. This will allow the company to ride out uncertainty about sales and make headway on the expenses side of their income statement. “Headwinds or tailwinds, having that strong core perspective on the business will get them through this period,” says Maguire, head of Korn Ferry’s Technology Market, Interim North America business.

Of course, some leaders have made the snap decision… to hold off on making a decision. At some organizations, the bigger the decision, the more likely a leader will wait for a little more certainty in the marketplace. Savvy leaders won’t sit idly by, however: They’re asking teams to game out a multitude of scenarios, including the costs of making a decision, then unwinding it if market conditions change again quickly. CEOs also are asking for the implications of scenarios that might have only a very slim chance of occurring, Moot says. Having the information, even for the unlikeliest of potential outcomes, will help the CEO make a better decision when they absolutely have to. “There’s no time to be reactive. You have to anticipate different options,” Moot says.

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