---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's how you make decisions that matters…"
description: "\"It's how you make decisions that matters, and that ought to be the question that people ask of any candidate for any executive office, whether it's may..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3b/tom-vilsack-8494_asks_it-s-how-you-make-decisions-that-matters_1649488.jpg"
---

#  It's how you make decisions that matters, and that ought…

![“It's how you make decisions that matters, and that ought to be the question that people ask of any candidate for any executive office, whether it's mayor, governor or president. How do you make decisions? Who do you want in the room helping you make those decisions?” quote by Tom Vilsack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3b/tom-vilsack-8494_asks_it-s-how-you-make-decisions-that-matters_1649488.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3b/tom-vilsack-8494_asks_it-s-how-you-make-decisions-that-matters_1649488.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3b/tom-vilsack-8494_asks_it-s-how-you-make-decisions-that-matters_1649488.jpg)

> “It's how you make decisions that matters, and that ought to be the question that people ask of any candidate for any executive office, whether it's mayor, governor or president. How do you make decisions? Who do you want in the room helping you make those decisions?”

[Tom Vilsack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-vilsack/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Effective leadership hinges on decision‑making processes and the advisors involved.

**In simple terms:** Decision quality matters more than title.

Key Takeaway

Vet advisors and clarify decision criteria.

Themes

leadership decision‑making governance

Mood

analytical serious

Type

political advisory

When to use this quote

- campaign interviews
- board meetings
- policy formulation
- crisis response

Key Concepts

political strategy collaboration accountability

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you assess the diversity of your advisory team?
- What criteria define a good decision?

A Different Perspective

May overlook informal influences and groupthink.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Ask Candidate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ask-candidate-637876/) [Asks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asks/) [Candidate Executive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/candidate-executive-637877/) [Candidates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/candidates/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Decision making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-making/) [Decisions Matters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decisions-matters-634532/) [Decisions Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decisions-want-452428/) [Executives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/executives/) [Governors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/governors/) [Helping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helping/) [Make Decisions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-decisions-237830/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Mayors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mayors/) [Office](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/office/) [Ought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ought/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [Rooms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rooms/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/)

## Related quotes

> [The question Americans should ask is not whether a candidate is affiliated with a particular faith but rather whether that candidate's faith makes it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/the-question-americans-should-ask-is-not-whether-a-candidate-is/)

[Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/)

> [If the courts are making the decisions, it matters who the judge is and, of course, people are concerned with what is the bottom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-harrison/if-the-courts-are-making-the-decisions-it-matters-who-the-judge-is/)

[John Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-harrison/)

> [And we made decisions on each of those matters which were ultimately upheld by the courts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lloyd-cutler/and-we-made-decisions-on-each-of-those-matters-which-were-ultimately/)

[Lloyd Cutler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lloyd-cutler/)

> [Business leaders, labor unions, governors, mayors, congressmen and presidents have all complained about a lack of funding for years, but aside from a one-time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-kroft/business-leaders-labor-unions-governors-mayors-congressmen-and/)

[Steve Kroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-kroft/)

> [I didn't want to be president; I didn't want to be governor; I didn't want to be a congress person. I just wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-kilpatrick/i-didn-t-want-to-be-president-i-didn-t-want-to-be-governor-i-didn-t/)

[Kwame Kilpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-kilpatrick/)

> [While the Governor, and the Mayor, and countless officers of the Commonwealth are at large, the champions of liberty are imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/while-the-governor-and-the-mayor-and-countless-officers-of-the/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [When you're drug kingpin - you're a mayor. You are a governor. But of a different society. You get to do what you want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-ross/when-you-re-drug-kingpin-you-re-a-mayor-you-are-a-governor-but-of-a/)

[Rick Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-ross/)

> [This is where the question always come up, "Aren't you going to split the vote?" To which the obvious answer is: Well let's just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/this-is-where-the-question-always-come-up-aren-t-you-going-to-split/)

[Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/)

> [Foreign news is considered an expletive. Thoughtfully written analysis is out, 'live pops' are in. 'Action Jackson' is the cry. Hire lookers, not writers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-rather/foreign-news-is-considered-an-expletive-thoughtfully-written-analysis/)

[Dan Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-rather/)

> [I have had a strong and a long relationship on national security, I've been involved in every national crisis that this nation has faced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/i-have-had-a-strong-and-a-long-relationship-on-national-security-i-ve/)

[John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/)

> [After 9/11, I went to work with Republican mayor, governor and president to rebuild New York and to get health care for our first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/after-9-11-i-went-to-work-with-republican-mayor-governor-and/)

[Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/)

> [Former New York Mayor, Rudy Giuliani, former Alaska Governor, Sarah Palin, talk show Rush Limbaugh claim - " don't you love that, they "claim."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/former-new-york-mayor-rudy-giuliani-former-alaska-governor-sarah/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [I classify Sao Paolo this way: The Governor's Palace is the living room. The mayor's office is the dining room and the city is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolina-maria-de-jesus/i-classify-sao-paolo-this-way-the-governor-s-palace-is-the-living/)

[Carolina Maria de Jesus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolina-maria-de-jesus/)

> [ \[After her 18-day disappearance in 1974:\] I love my husband very, very much, but he didn't ask me when he ran for mayor and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-alioto/after-her-18-day-disappearance-in-1974-i-love-my-husband-very-very/)

[Angela Alioto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-alioto/)

> [It takes right decisions and where you want to go to - what kind of players, what kind of manager - and then in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralf-rangnick/it-takes-right-decisions-and-where-you-want-to-go-to-what-kind-of/)

[Ralf Rangnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralf-rangnick/)

## More by Tom Vilsack

> [In the past 40 years, the United States lost more than a million farmers and ranchers. Many of our farmers are aging. Today, only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-vilsack/in-the-past-40-years-the-united-states-lost-more-than-a-million/)

[Tom Vilsack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-vilsack/)

> [Hillary Clinton was in rural America during the Iowa caucuses, but I think the nature of a campaign makes it more difficult once you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-vilsack/hillary-clinton-was-in-rural-america-during-the-iowa-caucuses-but-i/)

[Tom Vilsack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-vilsack/)

> [To help producers serve larger institutional customers like schools and hospitals, USDA has helped fund new regional infrastructure like cold storage warehouses, commercial kitchens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-vilsack/to-help-producers-serve-larger-institutional-customers-like-schools/)

[Tom Vilsack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-vilsack/)

> [The lack of access to proper nutrition is not only fueling obesity, it is leading to food insecurity and hunger among our children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-vilsack/the-lack-of-access-to-proper-nutrition-is-not-only-fueling-obesity-it/)

[Tom Vilsack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-vilsack/)

> [Small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-vilsack/small-businesses-are-the-lifeblood-of-our-economy/)

[Tom Vilsack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-vilsack/)

> [I can't give you a specific number today, in large part because the analysis upon which we would make that determination has not been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-vilsack/i-can-t-give-you-a-specific-number-today-in-large-part-because-the/)

[Tom Vilsack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-vilsack/)

> [To amplify our efforts, USDA is joining with First Lady Michelle Obama in aggressively promoting the 'Let's Move' campaign, which will combat the epidemic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-vilsack/to-amplify-our-efforts-usda-is-joining-with-first-lady-michelle-obama/)

[Tom Vilsack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-vilsack/)

> [We're going to move from a commodity economy where you basically grow the same kind of crops - where a kernel of corn is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-vilsack/we-re-going-to-move-from-a-commodity-economy-where-you-basically-grow/)

[Tom Vilsack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-vilsack/)

> [Although they are some of the hardest working folks I know, rural Americans earn, on average, $11,000 less than their urban counterparts each year.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-vilsack/although-they-are-some-of-the-hardest-working-folks-i-know-rural/)

[Tom Vilsack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-vilsack/)

> [President Obama has expressed his commitment to responsible stewardship of our land, water, and other natural resources. And one way of restoring the land…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-vilsack/president-obama-has-expressed-his-commitment-to-responsible/)

[Tom Vilsack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-vilsack/)

> [Strong communities ... embrace change. New discoveries require us to think differently and approach things differently, to think anew.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-vilsack/strong-communities-embrace-change-new-discoveries-require-us-to-think/)

[Tom Vilsack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-vilsack/)

> [I don't know of a Democrat - whether they're a conservative, a centrist or a liberal Democrat - that doesn't think that it's important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-vilsack/i-don-t-know-of-a-democrat-whether-they-re-a-conservative-a-centrist/)

[Tom Vilsack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-vilsack/)

> [Sixteen percent of our population is rural, but 40 percent of our military is rural. I don't believe that's because of a lack of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-vilsack/sixteen-percent-of-our-population-is-rural-but-40-percent-of-our/)

[Tom Vilsack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-vilsack/)

> [People working together in a strong community with a shared goal and a common purpose can make the impossible possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-vilsack/people-working-together-in-a-strong-community-with-a-shared-goal-and/)

[Tom Vilsack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-vilsack/)

> [There are children with dreams counting on us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-vilsack/there-are-children-with-dreams-counting-on-us/)

[Tom Vilsack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-vilsack/)

[Explore all 80 Tom Vilsack quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-vilsack/)

## More Asks quotes

> [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/)

[Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/)

> [I don't wear a watch because I want my arms to weigh the same. So if somebody asks me what time it is, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-don-t-wear-a-watch-because-i-want-my-arms-to-weigh-the-same-so-if/)

[Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/)

> [I am a practicing Catholic, but my lineage is Jewish, so if someone asks me if I'm Jewish, I say yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neve-campbell/i-am-a-practicing-catholic-but-my-lineage-is-jewish-so-if-someone/)

[Neve Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neve-campbell/)

> [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/)

[Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/)

> [Why did Erich von Stronheim leave Germany? Why did Hitchcock leave England? If you were a director you'd like to work in Hollywood too.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-polanski/why-did-erich-von-stronheim-leave-germany-why-did-hitchcock-leave/)

[Roman Polanski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-polanski/)

> [There is nothing more I ask of this life than this moment, exactly so. And suddenly forever seems like too short a time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/there-is-nothing-more-i-ask-of-this-life-than-this-moment-exactly-so/)

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

> [Success will come when the societal attitude changes and not a single woman in America asks herself the question 'What did I do?'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/success-will-come-when-the-societal-attitude-changes-and-not-a-single/)

[Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/)

> [The most fundamental question we can ever ask ourselves is whether or not the universe we live in is friendly or hostile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-most-fundamental-question-we-can-ever-ask-ourselves-is-whether-or/)

[Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/)

> [The rich people are apparently leaving America. They're giving up their citizenship. These great lovers of America who made their money in this country-when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-rich-people-are-apparently-leaving-america-they-re-giving-up/)

[Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/)

> [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/)

[Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/)

> [For someone to ask 'Who did you play for' and to be able to answer a single name 'Liverpool' that would be brilliant...I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-carragher/for-someone-to-ask-who-did-you-play-for-and-to-be-able-to-answer-a/)

[Jamie Carragher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-carragher/)

> [I have no hesitation in saying that although the American woman never leaves her domestic sphere and is in some respects very dependent within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/i-have-no-hesitation-in-saying-that-although-the-american-woman-never/)

[Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/)

> [Ask God for temp'rance. That's th' appliance only Which your disease requires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/ask-god-for-temp-rance-that-s-th-appliance-only-which-your-disease/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [I don't know how to say it exactly. Only...I want to die as myself. Does that make any sense?' he asks. I shake my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/i-don-t-know-how-to-say-it-exactly-only-i-want-to-die-as-myself-does/)

[Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/)

> [Physicist Isador Isaac Rabi, who won a Nobel Prize for inventing a technique that permitted scientists to probe the structure of atoms and molecules…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-saul-wurman/physicist-isador-isaac-rabi-who-won-a-nobel-prize-for-inventing-a/)

[Richard Saul Wurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-saul-wurman/)

[Browse all 7,138 Asks quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asks/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "It's how you make decisions that matters, and that ought to be the question that people ask of any candidate for any executive office, whether it's mayor, governor or president. How do you make decisions? Who do you want in the room helping you make those decisions?",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Tom Vilsack"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-vilsack/it-s-how-you-make-decisions-that-matters-and-that-ought-to-be-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Asks"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-vilsack/it-s-how-you-make-decisions-that-matters-and-that-ought-to-be-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3b/tom-vilsack-8494_asks_it-s-how-you-make-decisions-that-matters_1649488.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3b/tom-vilsack-8494_asks_it-s-how-you-make-decisions-that-matters_1649488.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3b/tom-vilsack-8494_asks_it-s-how-you-make-decisions-that-matters_1649488.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It's how you make decisions that matters, and that ought to be the question that people ask of any candidate…” — Tom Vilsack",
                "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": "Tom Vilsack",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-vilsack/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "It's how you make decisions that...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-vilsack/it-s-how-you-make-decisions-that-matters-and-that-ought-to-be-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-vilsack/it-s-how-you-make-decisions-that-matters-and-that-ought-to-be-the/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
