DecisionSkill explores the assumptions, choices and consequences that often exist long before performance is tested—and the effect those decisions have on the people who must live with them.
Through stories, observations and reflection, it helps readers examine their own decision-making processes and the hidden decisions that shape outcomes for themselves and the people around them.
This is not a book about what to think.
It is a book about how you think.
Early reader feedback
It’s brilliant. It’s almost poetic. I wish I’d had it throughout my career as a guide; it almost feels like a prayer book for any decision maker or leader.
Strategic Leader · Defence Consultant · Coach & Mentor · Former Royal Navy Commodore
It is a good read, inspirational and good choice of language.
Fractional Strategic HRBP · HR Strategist · HR Solutionist
It’s good, very on point for the topic.
Maritime Officer
Loved it!
Chief People Officer
It made me think, look back, reassess and analyse my own decisions and consequences.
Maritime Professional
There is a trade-off of factors relating to a decision and its accuracy: time, cost, quality of information, impacts, personal behaviour.
Accountancy Director
This was very thought provoking, highlighting good decisions and also the not so good, inspiring me to have a clearer overall view to my decision making and the effects.
Maritime Professional
Why isn't the author the focus?
DecisionSkill is deliberately written without a protagonist.
It is not a collection of my achievements, opinions or experiences.
The purpose of the book is not to tell you what to think.
It is to create space for you to examine how you think.
The stories, questions and observations are simply a mirror.
What each reader sees in that reflection will be different.
My role is limited to holding the mirror.
Everything else belongs to you, and to the people your decisions affect.
Who's Holding the Mirror?
Matt French is an Admiralty Pilot, author, instructor and former Royal Navy Commanding Officer.
Throughout his career he has operated in environments where decisions carry real consequences for vessels, teams and people, piloting nuclear submarines, aircraft carriers, warships and complex vessels in challenging operating environments.
He is an MCA and RYA instructor, course designer and leadership practitioner who has spent years helping others prepare for moments where skill, judgement, responsibility and trust intersect.
DecisionSkill was created from a simple observation:
Long before a skill is tested, a decision has already been made.
The purpose of this work is not to provide answers.
It is to help people notice the assumptions, decisions and human consequences that often remain hidden until pressure arrives.
That is the only role of the author in this process.
To hold the mirror and invite reflection.
Professional Wonderer.
If you're curious about the thinking behind DecisionSkill, you can explore what I believe here.
Explore What I BelieveWhere capability, conditions and consequence begin to meet.
The space that lets people think, adapt and still do good work when things change.
The time, energy, attention, trust and options spent by every decision.
Not a guarantee, but a way of shaping the conditions people will have to work within.
Because decisions do not just live on paper. They land on people.
The last small space before commitment becomes momentum.
Where the line, margin, cost, plan and people come together in the moment of commitment.
Digital edition FAQ
What format is the book?
A downloadable PDF containing 84 pages in A5 format.
How is it delivered?
After checkout, Gumroad provides the download link directly. Delivery is digital and normally immediate.
Can it be read on a phone, tablet or computer?
Yes. Any device with a PDF reader can open it. The A5 page size is particularly comfortable on tablets and computers, and can also be enlarged on a phone.
What happens if somebody has a download problem?
Start with the download link or receipt from Gumroad. If the problem continues, email matt@decisionskill.co.uk and the issue can be looked at directly.
When is the hardback expected?
The hardback edition is planned for September 2026. The waiting list below is only for a note when it becomes available.
How can an organisation ask about multiple copies?
Email matt@decisionskill.co.uk with the approximate number required. No separate team-licensing policy is being offered on this page, so each enquiry can be considered properly.
Hardback Edition Coming September 2026
A printed hardback edition is planned for September 2026.
If you would like a quiet note when it is available, leave your email address below. This is only for the hardback update, not a newsletter.