 Have you ever wondered how decisions are made in the organization? In every organization, there are processes and practices for reaching properly staffed and formatted decisions. These processes may be formal or informal and have stood the test of bureaucratic time. The challenge some leaders face, however, is that they have never examined or even asked about the path such decisions make before landing on the leader's desk for approval. That is not to say that the routing sheet or draft document has not been scribbled on and bounced around on its tortured route to a final approval, but how does the leader know that a recommendation for a decision has been examined for its purpose, instead of just its format? To reach a well-informed and consequential decision, the process that facilitates that decision must itself be flexible and open to the range of options which might lead to success, even if through a non-traditional path. A leader that takes some time to examine the machine that is feeding the organizational decision-making cycle can then ensure that the processes contain room for diverse range of inputs, ideas, and produce the most constructive tension that will yield a decision that retains its value and impact over the long term. Lead well this week.