The Votta Exercise™

The Votta Exercise is a six-step framework Kristin created in 2018 to help leaders pause with purpose before making decisions under pressure. The name comes from the Icelandic word votta — to bear witness.

The core idea: most poor decisions don’t come from bad intentions, they come from acting on the story we’re telling ourselves instead of the facts in front of us. The exercise gives you a repeatable way to separate the two, choose a perspective on purpose, and move forward with clarity. It works the same whether you’re a start-up founder or a Fortune 10 executive — only the stakes change.

Start by naming the specific decision, transition, or challenge you’re working through. Vague goals like “be a better leader” produce vague outcomes.

A real goal sounds like “decide whether to restructure my team by Q3” or “navigate this acquisition without losing my best people.” The more specific the goal, the more useful every step that follows.

This is the step most leaders skip, and it’s where the exercise earns its keep. Write down what is objectively, verifiably happening — and separately, the story you’re telling yourself about it.

“Revenue dropped 12% last quarter” is a fact. “I’m failing and the board is losing faith in me” is a view. Both feel true in the moment. Only one is. Naming the difference is what frees you to choose your response instead of react to your fear.

Once the facts and the story are separated, you get to choose — deliberately — the perspective that serves your goals and values, rather than the one driven by pressure, habit, or an old wound.

This isn’t spin or forced positivity. It’s recognizing that several true interpretations usually exist, and picking the one that moves you toward who you want to be and where you want to go.

Project forward from your chosen view. If this is the perspective you’re leading from, what decisions follow naturally? What actions become obvious?

What was paralyzing a moment ago often becomes a clear next step once you’re looking at it from the right vantage point.

Now turn the same lens on the past. Reflect on previous patterns and decisions through your new view. What would you have done differently? Where have you made this same mistake before?

The point isn’t regret — it’s pattern recognition. Your history is the best data you have about how you actually operate under pressure.

The Votta Exercise isn’t a one-time fix; it’s a practice. The view that serves you today may not serve you next quarter as circumstances change.

Build in a recurring check — monthly, quarterly, or at every inflection point — to stay current with yourself and keep your decisions aligned with what actually matters now.