How to Make the Right Business Decisions (Even When Everyone Has an Opinion)
By Shannon Kate Murray, Founder & Editor of High Flying DesignWhen you're building something big, bold, and your own - there’s no shortage of opinions on how to do it.
You’ll be told what worked for them. What you should do. What success must look like. And often, these voices are loud, confident, and backed by experience. That makes them valuable - but not automatically right.
Because taking advice is easy. Trusting yourself is harder. And yet, it’s the difference between building a copy-paste business… and one that’s unmistakably yours.
So how do you make smart, strategic decisions - especially when the stakes are high and everyone has a perspective?
You get radically clear on who you are, what you value, and where you’re heading. You filter insight like a strategist. You treat advice like data, not doctrine. And above all, you back your own judgment - even when it wobbles.
Here’s how.
You Can Learn from Others - Just don’t hand over the wheel
Yes, other people’s stories matter. Listening can save you from rookie mistakes, fast-track your growth, and offer angles you hadn’t considered.
But here’s what most people forget: their business isn’t yours. Their circumstances, goals, risk tolerance, resources, and audience are all different. What helped them win could sabotage you.
Taking advice without filtering it is like borrowing someone else’s prescription glasses. Just because it worked for them doesn’t mean it’s the right fit for your vision.
The hidden risks of following “proven” advice
Especially for women in leadership, advice often comes laced with assumptions: be agreeable, don’t rock the boat, follow what’s worked before.
But here’s what that can cost you:
You override your instincts. You outsource your knowing to someone else's “should.”
You contort your business. Trying to retrofit your goals into someone else’s framework is a fast track to burnout.
You miss your moment. What worked five years ago, or even last year, might be completely off now.
You compromise your power. Over-reliance on external validation erodes confidence - and erases your edge.
What to Do Instead: A Decision Framework That Actually Works
Here’s how to navigate decisions when everyone has an opinion - without losing your grip on what matters most.
1. Anchor First. Ask Later.
Before you seek advice, get honest about:
What does success look and feel like to you?
What are your non-negotiables?
What values must this decision reflect?
The sharper your internal compass, the easier it is to spot when advice is steering you off-course.
2. Interrogate the Source
Not all advice is created equal. Ask:
Have they done something similar, or just talking from theory?
Do I respect how they achieved their success, not just the outcome?
What’s their worldview - and does it align with mine?
Respect doesn’t require replication. You can admire someone and still reject their blueprint.
3. Treat Advice Like Input, Not Instruction
Think of advice as raw data. Not a command, not a shortcut - just one more piece of information. Your job is to assess it:
Is this insight useful in my context?
What assumptions is it built on?
What feels misaligned, even if it’s “proven”?
Your intuition is not a liability. It's intelligence - and it deserves as much weight as any metric.
4. Ask the Harder Question
Before acting on any advice, pause and ask:
If I followed this advice and it failed - would I still feel proud of how I showed up?
If the answer’s yes, move forward. If it’s no, you’re not aligned. Keep refining.
5. Experiment Small, Then Scale
You don’t need to leap - just move. Test the waters:
Try a mini version of the idea.
Set a time or data limit.
Track what’s working for you, not just what others say should work.
Absolute confidence doesn’t come from theory. It comes from action.
Women Are Often Taught to Second-Guess - Flip That Script
From childhood, many women are socialised to defer, to be “good team players,” to listen more than speak. So when it comes to decisions, it can feel safer to ask others, to double-check, to wait for certainty.
But leadership - the kind that actually changes things - demands you unlearn that.
It asks you to trust your gut. To choose clarity over consensus. To lead with values, not just validation.
And yes, that might ruffle feathers. But the goal isn’t to make everyone comfortable - it’s to build something that’s genuinely yours.
Build the Muscle, Not the Myth
There’s no magic formula. No secret mastermind. No “one weird hack.”
The women who make bold, aligned, resilient decisions? They didn’t wait for permission or perfect conditions. They practised. They got it wrong. They learned. And they kept moving.
So the next time you’re facing a tough call and your group chat is lighting up with opinions, pause.
Listen. Reflect. Then tune them out, and turn yourself up.
That’s how you build something that lasts.
