The Archer’s Aim, Part II: Principles
In the last article, I introduced the framework of the Archer of Decision-Making and the three characteristics I have consistently seen in great decision-makers: principles, humility, and decisiveness.
This article starts with the first, and most foundational: principles.
If the Archer is the leader, then principles are the aim.
Before the arrow is ever shot, you have to point it in a certain direction. In the same way, before a decision in a crisis ever occurs, great decision-makers have to "point" in the direction of their decision. What guides them—Their principles developed before the pressure was ever on.
Because in a crisis, you don’t have time to decide who you are.
You act from it.
Principles Set Direction
In high-stakes environments, you are rarely choosing between right and wrong. More often, you are choosing between competing options, all of which have merit.
This is where principles matter most.
Back to our archer. Imagine she takes the field and has targets all around her. Her principles will tell her to pick out a certain target and ignore the others because that is who she is.
Principles give you a way to sort, prioritize, and act.
Practically, you can translate your principles into prioritization of actions. I often describe this as Good, Better, Best.
Not everything deserves your best. If you try to treat everything that way, you will dilute your effort and miss what truly matters.
Principles drive those distinctions.
Principles allow you to say:
- This is good enough for now
- This needs to be better
- This requires our best
And then move with clarity.
Principles Are Built Before the Crisis
You cannot build principles in the moment of decision.
You train them.
Across decades in combat, large-scale operations, and higher education leadership, one lesson has remained constant:
You usually don’t rise to the occasion. You fall back on your training and your process.
Principles are part of that process.
They are formed through your experiences, reinforced by your organization’s culture, and sharpened by what you choose to study and apply.
You think about them before you need them.
You talk about them with your team.
You live them when the stakes are low, so they show up when the stakes are high.
Principles are not abstract ideas. They show up in decisions.
They determine what gets attention, what gets resources, and what gets your best effort.
This is where the connection becomes practical:
Principles drive priorities.
And priorities determine outcomes.
If your principles are unclear, your priorities will shift with pressure, personalities, or the latest piece of information.
If your principles are clear, your priorities hold.
Principles Empower Witness
There is another dimension to principle-based decision-making that is often overlooked.
People are watching.
Especially in a crisis.
Your decisions are not just operational. They are visible.
They communicate what you value.
For me, one of the clearest expressions of principle-based leadership comes from Galatians 5:23:
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Against these, there is no law.
These are not soft traits. They are stabilizing forces in chaotic moments.
They shape how decisions are made and how people experience those decisions.
That is why this lesson matters:
Principles empower witness.
In the hardest moments, people see what you actually believe.
The Archer in Action
In a crisis, you don’t get perfect information or unlimited time.
You get pressure, ambiguity, and consequences.
What you need is direction.
Principles provide it.
They align your aim before you act. They guide your priorities under pressure. And they allow you to move with confidence when hesitation would cost you.
In the Archer framework, principles are where everything starts.
Because long before the arrow is released, the aim is already set.
