Before You React, Try This Simple Exercise
- Maja Kazazic
- 3 days ago
- 1 min read
Every day we make decisions based on the meaning we assign to events around us. The problem is that we often mistake our conclusions for facts. One of the most valuable leadership skills isn't reacting faster. It's learning to separate what happened from what we believe is happening.
Most leaders believe they make decisions based on facts.
In reality, we make decisions based on our interpretation of those facts.
That's why two people can experience the same conversation and leave with entirely different conclusions. Pressure accelerates this process. When we're stressed, our minds fill in missing information quickly because uncertainty is uncomfortable.
That's where STEP BACK becomes essential. STEP BACK isn't about avoiding decisions. It's about improving them.
Here's a simple exercise:
Draw a line down the middle of a page.
Label one side What Happened.
Label the other What I Believe Is Happening.
For every statement, ask:
"If a camera had recorded this moment, would it capture this?"
This simple distinction helps separate observable facts from the meaning we've attached to them. And that often changes the decision we make next.
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