Senior leaders spend most of their days solving problems and making decisions, the two critical functions that form the hinges of destiny. Each time you engage in either, you stand at a pivot—a turning point that will take you in directions that will contribute to your success or demise, and influence the lives of others.

Putting logic aside, too often we allow emotion to distract us as we settle for short-term emotional gains that often demand long-term payback. These ten kinds of decisions explain what makes a company flounder and founder: