High-Performing or Just High-Speed?
Welcome to another Toolkit Tuesday! Every week, our goal is to give you a practical leadership tool to put in your toolkit.
So There I Was…
When I was in the military, we did not have the 5 Voices framework available to us, but we had something similar in how we approached mission planning. Before every operation, our team would map out contingencies, identify potential hurdles, and test every assumption.
At some point, someone would usually ask, “What would so-and-so ask us right now?”
“So-and-so” was usually a mentor, a seasoned leader who had trained us, challenged us, and made us better. We had all spent enough time under their leadership to know exactly the kinds of questions they would ask. Even when they were not in the room, their voice shaped how we thought and led.
We did not call it decision-making filters, but that is exactly what it was. We were learning to identify our gaps, realizing we did not have every answer, but we could still think like the people who did.
The Challenge
Here is the reality. Most teams think they are high-performing, but many are just busy. They move fast, make quick calls, and mistake momentum for maturity.
It takes real leadership to admit you have blind spots. It takes humility to slow down and ask the questions no one else is asking. And it takes maturity to create a culture where those questions are not seen as obstacles but as the pathway to better decisions.
Too many leaders avoid that work. They juggle the day-to-day, tell themselves they will figure it out later, or let pride convince them they have it all covered. But the truth is, great teams are not great because they never miss anything. They are great because they know when they are missing something and they choose to address it.
The Tool: 5 Voices Decision Making Filters
That is what makes the 5 Voices Decision Making Filters so powerful. It gives teams a clean, scalable, intuitive way to pause long enough to ask the questions that might otherwise be missing, the ones that make decisions stronger, healthier, and more sustainable.
Each Voice filters decisions differently:
Nurturers focus on people and values
Creatives push for integrity and future vision
Guardians test the details and protect resources
Connectors make sure ideas resonate and inspire
Pioneers challenge everything to make sure it wins and scales
When a team intentionally works through these filters, especially when certain Voices are not in the room, it creates clarity, alignment, and confidence in every decision made.
Why This Matters Now
The highest-performing teams do not rush decisions. They refine them.
By honoring the unique perspective of each Voice, you avoid one-dimensional leadership. You create an environment where people feel heard, where risk is managed wisely, and where decisions are rooted in integrity not ego.
The goal is not to hire one of every Voice. That is rarely practical or even possible. The goal is to build a culture where every Voice is represented in thought. When teams learn to ask the questions of the missing Voices, they gain the benefits of diverse perspectives without needing perfect representation.
This is the work that separates good teams from great ones.
The Result
When leaders build the discipline to ask the right questions, not just the convenient ones, their decisions improve. Alignment grows. Trust deepens. Execution accelerates.
Ignore this work and you will keep repeating the same mistakes, wondering why your team’s effort does not match the outcome. Lean into it and you will build a culture where wise decisions become the norm, not the exception.
Take Action
Choose one upcoming decision your team needs to make this month. Before finalizing it, walk through each of the 5 Voices filters. Notice which perspectives are missing and commit to asking those questions with honesty and openness.
Schedule a strategy call with our team to learn how the 5 Voices System can elevate your decision-making, build trust, and help your organization perform at the highest level.
Closing the Loop
In the military, we learned to think like the leaders who were not in the room because it made our team better. The same is true in business. When you have the humility to slow down, see your gaps, and ask the questions others avoid, you do not just make better decisions, you build better teams.
