In food manufacturing, founders and executives constantly face high-stakes decisions:
❌ Invest in automation or push for higher margins with existing capacity?
❌ Scale production or hold off due to uncertain demand?
❌ Outsource or keep everything in-house?
The reality? There’s rarely a “perfect” answer. Waiting for 100% certainty means falling behind.
Great leaders don’t make decisions because they have all the knowledge or data—they make decisions because they trust their process.
Here’s what I’ve learned running and advising food businesses for years:
1️⃣ Define the Core Objective – Is this about efficiency, profitability, or long-term growth? Align every choice with the ultimate goal.
2️⃣ Eliminate the Noise – Not all risks are equal. Focus on what truly impacts the bottom line.
3️⃣ Commit & Adapt – Indecision is costlier than the wrong decision. Make a move, track results, and adjust fast.
Every great business no matter where that I’ve worked with didn’t grow because they had all the answers upfront. They grew because they made bold, calculated decisions and adapted along the way.
More crucially recognise when people make a decision on your behalf, they are doing so without all the information or experience possibly if it is wrong support them, as they were on the spot and had to make a snap decision. A decision may have been required, they made a decision rather than freeze. This is the worst-case scenario you can ever have!
What’s the toughest decision you’ve had to make recently? Drop it in the comments—I’d love to hear your take.
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