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“OK, we go!” With those words, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe, set in motion the largest air, water and land assault in history. His words were the culmination of years of planning and months of steady build-up of manpower and material. The decision was expected, but there was hesitancy, tension and drama till the very end. Already the invasion had been called off for the previous day. The weather over the Normandy coastline, the site of the invasion, was terrible—cold, rainy and accompanied by rough seas. While the tides were favorable for a landing, the weather was still not, but another postponement might tip off the Germans of the site and time of a location. With a prediction of favorable weather, however, Eisenhower drew upon all of his knowledge as well as his gut instinct and gave the order. As a result, June 6, 1944, will forever be known as D-Day, and the first day in the freeing of Europe from Nazi oppression.

Finding the Go Point Preparing for and issuing “make or break” decisions is a subject that Michael Useem explores in his brand new book, The Go Point. “Ultimately every decision,” writes Useem, “comes down to a go point—that decisive moment when the essential information has been gathered, the pros and cons are weighed and the time has come to get off the fence.” The purpose of a go point is not yes or no; the purpose is to decide. Decisions of consequence are what leaders are expected to make. And in this regard, Useem, a professor at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, offers some intriguing leadership insights that managers can and should consider when the stakes are high.

Maintain situational awareness. Decisions made on mountains above 26,000 feet require superhuman strength; the thin air and piercing cold make physical movement difficult, in particular when the weather changes or a climber become disoriented. Such a situation occurred on K2, second only in height to its neighbor Mount Everest. Wisely, climb commander Rodrigo Jordan stationed himself farther down the mountain where he could maintain situation awareness and direct rescue operations. When one summit climber did get into trouble, Jordan was able to direct appropriate manpower as well as make cool headed decisions. That’s a lesson that managers can learn; be close to the action, but not so close that you are overwhelmed by circumstance that you cannot make clear-headed decisions.

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