The decision drift: how leaders lose direction without knowing it

By Dr. Toye Sobande · First published in BusinessDay, 15 August 2025

Few leaders wake up and decide to abandon their values. Dr. Sobande describes a slower, more common failure: decision drift, in which a series of small compromises and one-off exceptions gradually moves an organisation far from where it meant to go.

The argument

Drift is driven by short-term pressure for results, decision fatigue and outside influences such as stakeholder demands and internal politics. Each exception seems reasonable on its own, but together they leave the organisation guided by convenience rather than conviction. Teams notice the inconsistency, and engagement and accountability weaken.

The defence is to keep a small set of non-negotiable principles that actively shape meetings, budgets and strategy. Practical safeguards include regular alignment checks, deliberately slowing down urgent decisions that carry long-term consequences, and asking whether a decision will still be a source of pride in five years.

Key takeaways

• Drift builds slowly through small exceptions.
• Teams sense misaligned choices, and trust erodes.
• Short-term pressure, fatigue and politics are the usual causes.
• Keep a few non-negotiable principles that guide real decisions.
• Slow down urgent decisions with long-term consequences, and apply the five-year test.

“Teams quickly sense when leadership choices feel inconsistent or misaligned.”

Dr. Toye Sobande

A question to take away

Which of your recent “just this once” decisions is quietly becoming a habit?