The bottleneck isn’t bandwidth. It’s control.
In high-performing organizations, speed isn’t just a competitive advantage. It’s a survival skill. But if decisions still need to be reviewed, escalated, and re-approved by the top before action is taken, then you’re not operating fast—you’re stalling progress.
The world has transformed. Complexity is local. Change is constant. The people closest to the work see it first. The ones furthest from it are still trying to understand it.
So why are they the ones making the calls?
The Cumulative Cost of Top-Down Control
According to McKinsey, only 48% of organizations believe they make decisions quickly, and just 37% feel their decisions are both high quality and fast
The same research established that organizations at the speed-and-quality “winning zone” are twice as likely to say their most recent decisions have delivered financial returns of at least 20%.
The message is clear: high-velocity decision-making correlates with high-return organizations.
What High-Velocity Organizations Do Differently
The McKinsey study pinpoint a defining practice: making decisions at the right level. Companies where decisions are delegated closer to the action are 6.8 times more likely to be high-performing organizations.
Having just fewer reporting layers was pivotal. Companies with fewer layers had significantly more decisions rated as both fast and high quality.
Why Your Decision-Making Is Holding You Back
Too many reporting layers often lead to:
- Slowed response to critical issues
- Disempowered teams who wait for permission
- Bottlenecks and overburdened leadership
- Poor execution due to disconnected accountability
The result is frustration, disengagement, and missed opportunities.
Guiding Shifts That Work
To shift from hierarchy to high-velocity collaboration:
- Clarify decision rights across roles
- Reduce reporting layers where possible
- Trust frontline leaders with action within aligned frameworks
- Build cohesion through shared purpose, not top-down directives
These are not trends. They are operational imperatives.
Fast Attack Leadership Embeds Decision-Making at the Edge
Marc Koehler’s Fast Attack Leadership™ system operationalizes distributed leadership while maintaining alignment and purpose.
Born from high-pressure environments like nuclear submarines, it helps organizations:
- Empower rapid decision-making within defined mission context
- Equip leaders at every level with clarity and authority
- Align strategy with disciplined execution
- Move decisively without sacrificing cohesion
It’s not about making everyone a manager. It’s about creating leadership at every layer.
Book Marc Koehler for Your 2025 Leadership Summit
If delays, approvals, or uncertainty are slowing down your team, it’s time to reset how decisions flow.
Marc Koehler’s keynote experience delivers tactical, story-rich strategies that help you shift from centralized sluggishness to empowered, aligned decision-making at the edge.
Learn more or book Marc at marckoehlerspeaks.com/contact/
In 2025, the smarter organization isn’t the one with the strictest control. It’s the one with the fastest clarity.