--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A decision is the action an executive…" description: "\"A decision is the action an executive must take when he has information so incomplete that the answer does not suggest itself\" — Arthur William Radford" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea4/arthur-william-radford-220980_decision_a-decision-is-the-action-an-executive-mu_2367522.jpg" --- # A decision is the action an executive must take when he… ![“A decision is the action an executive must take when he has information so incomplete that the answer does not suggest itself” quote by Arthur William Radford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea4/arthur-william-radford-220980_decision_a-decision-is-the-action-an-executive-mu_2367522.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea4/arthur-william-radford-220980_decision_a-decision-is-the-action-an-executive-mu_2367522.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea4/arthur-william-radford-220980_decision_a-decision-is-the-action-an-executive-mu_2367522.jpg) > “A decision is the action an executive must take when he has information so incomplete that the answer does not suggest itself” [Arthur William Radford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-william-radford/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Decision-making involves acting with incomplete information, requiring judgment despite uncertainty. **In simple terms:** Decisions happen with unclear data. Key Takeaway Make informed choices despite gaps. Themes decision theory leadership information gaps executive action Mood analytical cautious Type strategic professional When to use this quote - business leadership - military command - policy development Key Concepts risk assessment strategic planning critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - How do you compensate for missing data? - What tools aid uncertain decisions? A Different Perspective Overreliance on intuition can be risky. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Decision Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-action-287159/) [Decision making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-making/) [Executive Information](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/executive-information-5819583/) [Incomplete Answer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incomplete-answer-5819582/) [Information Incomplete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/information-incomplete-5819581/) ## Related quotes > [In any decision for action, when you have to make up your mind what to do, there is always a 'should' involved, and this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/in-any-decision-for-action-when-you-have-to-make-up-your-mind-what-to/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [Never over think! Make a decision and take action!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-brown/never-over-think-make-a-decision-and-take-action/) [Joel Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-brown/) > [A decision, an action, are infallible omens of what we shall do another time, not for any vague, mystic, astrological reason but because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesare-pavese/a-decision-an-action-are-infallible-omens-of-what-we-shall-do-another/) [Cesare Pavese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesare-pavese/) > [The Ultimate decision, the fastest decision there is, is ACTION!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-ron-hubbard/the-ultimate-decision-the-fastest-decision-there-is-is-action/) [L. Ron Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-ron-hubbard/) > [Every change begins with a vision and a decision to take action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bornstein/every-change-begins-with-a-vision-and-a-decision-to-take-action/) [David Bornstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bornstein/) > [“Your decisions are the A.I.R. (Action, Impact, and Result) or the breath of life you take each day to live. Each decision is made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-narofsky/your-decisions-are-the-a-i-r-action-impact-and-result-or-the-breath/) [Thomas Narofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-narofsky/) > [“Converting a decision into action requires answering several distinct questions: Who has to know of this decision? What action has to be taken? Who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-f-drucker/converting-a-decision-into-action-requires-answering-several-distinct/) [Peter F. Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-f-drucker/) > [My best business decision was to be independent as a musician and artist. My worst was compromising on certain aspects of a deal for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ziggy-marley/my-best-business-decision-was-to-be-independent-as-a-musician-and/) [Ziggy Marley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ziggy-marley/) > [I never think of things rationally or intellectually. I swear, every single decision I make is just instinct and my instincts tend to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neill-blomkamp/i-never-think-of-things-rationally-or-intellectually-i-swear-every/) [Neill Blomkamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neill-blomkamp/) > [Decision is a risk rooted in the courage of being free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/decision-is-a-risk-rooted-in-the-courage-of-being-free/) [Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/) > [If you think of people as making decisions actively, every time we think about the cup of coffee, we say, "How much will I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/if-you-think-of-people-as-making-decisions-actively-every-time-we/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [Indecision becomes decision with time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/indecision-becomes-decision-with-time/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“How can you make an informed decision about whether to save the world if you never leave your tiny part of it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-david-hutchinson/how-can-you-make-an-informed-decision-about-whether-to-save-the-world/) [Shaun David Hutchinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-david-hutchinson/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [Making the right decision is hard,telling someone your decision is even harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/making-the-right-decision-is-hard-telling-someone-your-decision-is/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) ## More Decision quotes > [Making the right decision is hard,telling someone your decision is even harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/making-the-right-decision-is-hard-telling-someone-your-decision-is/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [“How can you make an informed decision about whether to save the world if you never leave your tiny part of it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-david-hutchinson/how-can-you-make-an-informed-decision-about-whether-to-save-the-world/) [Shaun David Hutchinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-david-hutchinson/) > [Love is the foundation from which your decisions about your life should be made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-the-foundation-from-which-your-decisions-about-your-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Indecision becomes decision with time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/indecision-becomes-decision-with-time/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you think of people as making decisions actively, every time we think about the cup of coffee, we say, "How much will I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/if-you-think-of-people-as-making-decisions-actively-every-time-we/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [It was a conscious decision on my part to take up fewer films. And if you're not seen that often on screen, nobody calls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-lever/it-was-a-conscious-decision-on-my-part-to-take-up-fewer-films-and-if/) [Johnny Lever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-lever/) > [Decision is a risk rooted in the courage of being free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/decision-is-a-risk-rooted-in-the-courage-of-being-free/) [Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/) > [I never think of things rationally or intellectually. I swear, every single decision I make is just instinct and my instincts tend to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neill-blomkamp/i-never-think-of-things-rationally-or-intellectually-i-swear-every/) [Neill Blomkamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neill-blomkamp/) > [“it is either you happen to life or life happens to you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sesan-kareem/it-is-either-you-happen-to-life-or-life-happens-to-you/) [Sesan Kareem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sesan-kareem/) > [How strange that something so simple could have been instrumental in my decision to ruin one of my most relationships and friendships, and damage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/how-strange-that-something-so-simple-could-have-been-instrumental-in/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [I am encouraged President Obama now says he will fulfill his constitutional obligation to seek authorization for any potential military action in Syria. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-am-encouraged-president-obama-now-says-he-will-fulfill-his/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [In New York, you are constantly faced with this very urgent decision that you have to make, about every twenty minutes...you have to decide,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/in-new-york-you-are-constantly-faced-with-this-very-urgent-decision/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) [Browse all 9,145 Decision quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A decision is the action an executive must take when he has information so incomplete that the answer does not suggest itself", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Arthur William Radford" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-william-radford/a-decision-is-the-action-an-executive-must-take-when-he-has/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Decision" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-william-radford/a-decision-is-the-action-an-executive-must-take-when-he-has/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea4/arthur-william-radford-220980_decision_a-decision-is-the-action-an-executive-mu_2367522.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea4/arthur-william-radford-220980_decision_a-decision-is-the-action-an-executive-mu_2367522.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea4/arthur-william-radford-220980_decision_a-decision-is-the-action-an-executive-mu_2367522.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A decision is the action an executive must take when he has information so incomplete that the answer does…” — Arthur William Radford", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Arthur William Radford", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-william-radford/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A decision is the action an...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-william-radford/a-decision-is-the-action-an-executive-must-take-when-he-has/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-william-radford/a-decision-is-the-action-an-executive-must-take-when-he-has/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```