Strengthening decisions together: A modern shura
Organisations that learn to strengthen decisions together build more than alignment (Photo by BLOOMBERG)
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Appeared in online edition of TMR on 6th February 2026 – click to go to TMR online article.
IN MANY organisations, meetings consume energy without necessarily strengthening decisions.
Over the years, I have facilitated several strategic retreats. In one instance, in a single afternoon, we worked through five major strategic items: Three unit plans and two cross-functional initiatives. Time was limited. The personalities in the room were strong. The issues under discussion carried real weight.
What emerged was a disciplined way of engaging — one that treated strategy not merely as planning, but as responsibility.
We practised what I call strengthening decisions together.
The intention was straightforward: When a proposal is presented, the shared task is to strengthen it. Every decision carries consequences beyond the meeting room.
Framing discussion this way shifts the posture of participants.
Designing the Dialogue
Each presenter is actually a proposer. The presentation included stating the purpose of the initiative and what success would look like. Colleagues asked clarifying questions to ensure shared understanding.
Only after that did participants offer strengthening inputs. These also cover identifying risks, assumptions, blind spots or areas requiring sharper articulation.
The tone of these inputs mattered. They were framed as care for the work entrusted to the team.
There was no voting. Each proposal went through one round of integration. The presenter having considered the inputs is able to adjust or clarify the original proposal, or park the inputs for further work. Items requiring leadership direction were surfaced openly. Then we moved forward.
In that single afternoon, five strategic conversations unfolded with focus and shared ownership. Strategies became clearer. Dependencies surfaced. Accountabilities were sharpened. The discussions carried discipline and intent.
Participation widened. Voices that might otherwise remain reserved surface to contribute. Strong personalities engaged with deliberation. Contributions became measured and purposeful.
Shura as Stewardship
The atmosphere resembled shura in a contemporary organisational setting — structured consultation grounded in responsibility. It was a deliberate exercise of collective stewardship. Participants were conscious that their words would shape real outcomes.
Underneath the method lies a deeper principle: Accountability as trust (amanah).
Every role and initiative carries a trust. When discussions are framed around strengthening the work, participants orient themselves toward that trust. The question shifts toward responsibility. What must we ensure? What are we overlooking? What impact will this decision have beyond our immediate sphere?
This orientation elevates the quality of contribution.
When individuals speak with awareness of responsibility, their words become considered. When proposers integrate with humility, clarity increases. When leadership invites strengthening inputs without defensiveness, collective capability expands.
From Conversation to Coherence
Dialogue improves through design.
In environments marked by complexity and compressed timelines, the ability to conduct multiple meaningful strategic conversations within a limited window reflects clarity of structure and maturity of leadership.
Understand first. Strengthen what matters. Integrate responsibly. Move forward.
Strengthening decisions together can shape weekly leadership meetings, cross- functional reviews and strategic planning sessions. Its power lies in its simplicity and in the quiet reminder that decisions are acts of stewardship.
When dialogue is anchored in shared responsibility, strategy gains coherence and trust deepens. Over time, this discipline reshapes how teams think, speak and decide.
Organisations that learn to strengthen decisions together build more than alignment. They build credibility, within their teams and in the impact they deliver beyond them.
Hasannudin Saidin
CEO Coach, Rubah Associates and can be reached at hasan@rubah.my.
