For two years, one executive Allison coached worked weekends just trying to keep up.

The problem wasn’t simply the amount of work on his plate. Every decision of real weight still came back to him. Even when work had been delegated, his team was waiting for him to approve, redirect, or make the final call.

The underlying issue was clarity: no one knew which decisions they actually had the authority to make.

In this episode of The Deliberate Leaders Podcast, Allison breaks down the three-hour exercise that changed that pattern and introduces a practical framework leaders can begin using with their teams immediately.

Level 1: Act
Make the decision and move forward. There’s no need to report back.

Level 2: Act and Inform
Make the decision and act on it, then let the leader know what you decided.

Level 3: Recommend
Research the options, develop a recommendation, and bring it forward so the decision can be made together.

Level 4: Escalate
Bring the relevant data and context to the leader, who makes the final call.

Allison also discusses:

• Why delegating tasks without delegating decision rights keeps leaders stuck
• How unclear authority creates unnecessary dependence on the leader
• Why a decision problem may actually be a clarity problem
• How to determine which decisions genuinely require your involvement
• Why developing independent thinkers can initially feel slower
• How to use questions instead of immediately providing answers
• A practical script for changing the dynamic in your next one-on-one
• How clearly communicating decision authority creates capacity for both the leader and the team

For every decision someone brings you, pause before answering and ask:

Which level does this decision actually belong at?

Then say the level out loud when you hand the decision back.

The goal isn’t to remove yourself from every decision. It’s to become deliberate about which decisions actually require you and which ones your team is ready to own.

Think first. Lead deliberately.

Think First