S3 EP006: Study Case – Decision Criteria: How Leaders Make Tough Calls

The Leadership Nest Podcast | S3 EP#006 – Study Case: Decision Criteria: How Leaders Make Tough Calls

[00:00:00] Introduction

Taty Fittipaldi: In this episode, we’ll learn about developing confidence in decision making and transitioning into a leadership mindset. I will share a study case about Lucia, a newly promoted manager in global HR who struggled with making decisions on her own and feeling confident about them. She found it difficult to shift from an operational role, where decisions were made for her to a strategic role, where she was the one calling the shots.

We’ll explore the skills Lucia developed to reframe her mindset, create a structured decision making process, and build confidence in her abilities. The lessons she learned, not only helped her make purposeful decisions, but also elevated her executive presence, earning her recognition from peers and leadership.

Hopefully you can leverage her experience and insights to help you navigate similar challenges and grow in your leadership journey.

[00:01:00] Hello and welcome to the Leadership Nest Podcast, the podcast that nests stories, knowledge, and science to soar the leadership in you. This program is brought to you by Coaching Expatriates, and I am your host, Taty Fittipaldi. In this season, we are taking an exciting turn. Season three will focus on study cases, real life stories, and progress of global leaders as they hone a key leadership skill.

Each episode will highlight the challenges, breakthroughs, and lessons that shaped their leadership journey, giving you practical insights to elevate your own path. Whether you were a seasoned executive, a first time manager, or an aspiring global leader, these stories will inspire, inform, and guide you to achieve greater impact in your role.

[00:01:55] Today’s Story

Today’s Story: Today’s [00:02:00] story.

Taty Fittipaldi: Let me tell you about Lucia, a bright and ambitious professional who found herself facing a steep learning curve as a first time manager. Lucia had recently been promoted to a global HR role, but the transition from her previous operational mindset to a strategic one was proving to be a significant challenge.

As an HR manager, Lucia now had to make decisions and communicate them. Responsibilities she hadn’t faced before. In her previous role, someone else made the decision and her job was to implement them. Now she was the one calling the shots and it wasn’t going smoothly. Each decision she made, left her second guessing herself, eroding her confidence further. She began to experience a persistent sense of imposter syndrome, [00:03:00] convinced she was on the brink of failure.

Realizing the need for support.

Lucia was self-aware enough to recognize that she needed help. She’d already been working with a therapist for her mental health and decided to bring up her professional struggles. That’s when her therapist referred her to me, explaining that what she needed was much more in the realm of coaching than therapy.

She was ready for a challenge and excited to learn from someone who could help her navigate this new territory.

Why Lucia chose to work with me.

What convinced Lucia to work with me was my reputation for being down to earth and providing structured, strategic steps without overwhelming clients. Her therapist told her I had a knack for breaking things down, in a way that made complex challenges feel manageable.

Lucia admitted she didn’t yet know how to create strategies or plans. [00:04:00] So she was eagerer to partner with someone who could guide her through the process and help her build these skills.

Overcoming emotional barriers.

While Lucia was eager to dive into coaching, she carried a heavy emotional burden. Her self-confidence had taken a massive hit, and her internal narrative was filled with self-doubt. She constantly told herself she wasn’t good at decision making, planning, or thinking strategically. And that she would eventually fail in this role. To address this, my first step was to reframe her internal story.

But before we could do that, I needed to help her rebuild some confidence by focusing on small, quick wins. We targeted low hanging fruits, simple tasks and decisions she could tackle easily. Once she saw tangible results, we debriefed each [00:05:00] success, identifying the strengths and skills she had used to achieve them. This process allowed her to see her capabilities more clearly, setting the stage for the next step.

Reframing her mindset: the shift to a new story.

Reframing isn’t about simply telling someone to think differently. It has to be shown. For Lucia, I used the show not Tell approach from storytelling. By walking her through the story of her own successes and strengths, we were able to shift her narrative from I am going to fail to, I can provide a lot of value.

Once she embraced this new mindset, we focused on giving her the tools to make decisions with confidence. Together, we created a checklist of decision criteria that aligned with the reputation she wanted to build. For example, some of her questions in the decision [00:06:00] checklist were, is this decision compliant with legal regulations? Does this decision align with my personal values? Is this decision supported by the information I have at this time?

We also worked on emotional regulation techniques, like pausing and breathing before making decisions to ensure she could approach each situation with a calm and clear mind.

This combination of mindset shift and practical tools allowed her to make decisions faster, more confidently, and with a clear sense of purpose.

The results.

The transformation was remarkable. With her decision criteria in place, Lucia not only made quicker and more confident decisions, but also had a framework to measure her success.

The newfound clarity elevated her executive presence. When questioned about her decisions, she could [00:07:00] articulate her reasoning with confident precision, earning the respect of her peers and leadership team. Multiple stakeholders commented on how as a new manager, she already carried herself with the presence of someone far more experienced.

In just a few months, Lucia’s confidence soared. She went from doubting her abilities to thriving in her role, demonstrating that she could handle the challenges of leadership with grace and poise.

Lucia’s message to leaders.

Lucia shared something that really stood out. She said, at first, I thought I was terrible at strategy and planning. But working with you showed me that strategy and planning aren’t standalone skills. They are how you manage challenges and move forward. My whole coaching process itself was a strategic, and I didn’t even realize it. The journey of building confidence, [00:08:00] reframing my mindset, and creating practical tools completely change how I see myself as a leader.

Lucia’s story reminds us that leadership is a journey of growth, not perfection. The way we approach challenges and the stories we tell ourselves about our capabilities shape our ability to lead effectively.

If you are feeling stuck in a new role or struggling with self-doubt, take inspiration from Lucia’s journey. Start with small wins. Focus on refraining your mindset and build tools that align with your values and goals. With the right support, you can step into a leadership role with confidence and purpose.

You are listening to the Leadership Nest Podcast, the podcast that nests stories, knowledge, and science to soar the leadership in you, with your host, Taty Fittipaldi. If you are [00:09:00] ready to take your leadership storytelling to the next level, check out my book, Mastering Business Storytelling, How Global Executives Can Craft and Tell Impactful Stories that Inspire, Influence, and Drive Success in Business. It’s packed with practical insights to help you make a lasting impact. Available now. Grab your copy today.

[00:09:21] Today’s Lesson

Today’s Lesson: Today’s lesson.

Taty Fittipaldi: Lucia’s Journey offers us some incredible lessons about building confidence, making decisions, and transitioning into a leadership mindset. Let’s unpack her key takeaways and explore how these lessons apply to leaders everywhere.

Key takeaways.

One of Lucia’s most powerful realizations was the importance of reframing her internal narrative. She started out believing that she wasn’t good at making [00:10:00] decisions or thinking strategically. But through coaching, she shifted her mindset to I can provide a lot of value. That new story allowed her to approach challenges with more confidence and clarity.

Another key takeaway was the value of creating decision making tools. By building a checklist aligned with her personal values and organizational goals, Lucia not only made decisions more confidently, but also felt prepared to defend her choices when questioned.

This practical approach, gave her a sense of control and a way to measure the success of her decisions.

Leadership Learnings.

For global Leaders, Lucia’s Story highlight the power of self-awareness and intentional action. First, it shows that reframing your mindset isn’t just about thinking positively. It’s about grounding yourself in [00:11:00] your strengths and building a new narrative based on evidence of what you are capable of achieving. Second, her journey underscores the importance of aligning decisions with clear criteria. When leaders have a framework for making choices, they not only feel more confident, but also communicate with greater credibility. This approach elevates both decision making and executive presence. Finally, Lucia’s experience reminds us that small wins matter. By starting with achievable small goals, she built momentum, that fueled her confidence for bigger challenges. A strategy any leader can use when facing new or overwhelming responsibilities.

Lucia’s lessons are incredibly relevant in today’s fast paced, high pressure leadership environments. Whether you are stepping into a new [00:12:00] role, tackling complex decisions, or feeling the weight of self-doubt, these strategies can help you stay grounded and effective.

Take a moment to reflect. What’s the story you are telling yourself about your capabilities? Is it an empowering you or holding you back? And how can you create tools like ‘Lucia’s decision criteria’ to make your leadership journey more intentional and impactful.

Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Coaching Expatriates, a leading global executive development company that helps leaders around the world create happier and more profitable workplaces, using the four success pillars in global leadership, an innovative leadership learning methodology. Visit their website at www.coachingexpatriates.com.

[00:12:56] Today’s Tips To Apply What You Learned

Today’s Application: [00:13:00] Today’s tips to apply what you learned.

Taty Fittipaldi: Let’s dive into a few practical tips inspired by Lucia’s journey that you can use to enhance your leadership skills. Lucia’s story highlights two major lessons. Reframing your internal narrative can transform how you approach challenges and having a structured decision making process builds both confidence and credibility.

Here are some actionable tips.

Number one, reframing your internal story. Start by identifying the narrative you are telling yourself about your abilities. Is it helping you move forward or holding you back? Replace limiting beliefs with evidence of your strengths. For example, think about past successes and how those skills can be applied to current challenges.

Number two, create a [00:14:00] decision making checklist. Develop criteria for making decisions that align with your values and goals. Questions like Does this align with my values, or is this decision supported by the information I have? Can help you feel confident about your choices, regardless of the outcome.

Number three, celebrate small wins. Build the momentum by focusing on achievable goals. Each success, no matter how small reinforces your confidence and sets the stage for tackling bigger challenges.

These tips are simple but effective tools for navigating new responsibilities, tackling self-doubt , and leading with purpose. Try them out and see how they help you build confidence and clarity in your leadership journey.

[00:14:53] Highlights

Highlights: If you have any questions you’d [00:15:00] like us to answer in the future episode of the show, just go to speakpipe.com/TatyFittipaldi or click the link in the show notes below to leave us a brief audio message. Make sure to visit us on our website, www.leadershipnest.com, where you can subscribe to our show anywhere podcasts are streamed so you never miss a show. While there, if you find value in our show, you can also subscribe to our Global Leadership Weekly newsletter from Coaching Expatriates, where we deliver bite-sized lessons on global leadership, decision-making, and cultural competence to help you learn how to think, relate, and strategize in a whole different way as a global leader. If you like the show, you might want to check our online global executive leadership program, a nine week leadership development and learning system that will help you lead internationally, while making [00:16:00] financially conscious and impactful decisions. Taty Fittipaldi is also available for private coaching.

See the website for more details at www. Coaching expatriates.com/executive-coaching. Thanks for joining us this week on the Leadership Nest Podcast. Be sure to tune in next week for next episode. Until the next time, keep nesting. Wherever you are in the globe, this is Taty Fittipaldi wishing you a beautiful day.