How To Make A Hard Call In Six Steps

For CEOs navigating a wrenching global economy running at web speed, the really hard calls—what markets to attack, which deals to chase, when to raise capital—might be harder than ever. Luckily we talked to battle-tested executives willing to relive their toughest calls.

One such executive is Joni Fedders, President of Aileron. Founded by Iams pet-food billionaire Clay Mathile, Dayton, Ohio-based business boot camp Aileron aims to bring big-time management techniques to smaller companies, with instruction from business owners and experts (not academics).

Clear decision-making is core to the curriculum, says Fedders, who outlines a six-step approach for tricky conundrums. “Don’t be afraid to go back a step or two, depending on what you discover,” she adds. “It’s an iterative process.”