> More often than not, meetings are a waste of time, leaned on by people who don’t want to make a difficult decision and would rather punt it to a group.

I have a different experience. Meetings aren't the problem. Getting 2+ people together is important. The problem is how the interaction happens and the costs and benefits involved. No one said that leadership or communication is easy. Building collective will is both an art and a science.

I say this: don't blame meetings. They are necessary. Learn to run better meetings.