“Call the shots” did not begin as a business phrase. It comes from the world of shooting, where a person could call the shots by naming the target, direction, or action to be taken. In other words, someone was giving the instructions for the next shot.
Over time, the phrase moved beyond the range and became figurative. Today, it usually means deciding what will happen, especially in a group, company, team, or family situation.
- Literal older sense: someone directs the shots to be taken.
- Modern figurative sense: someone has authority and makes the key decisions.
For example, if you say, “The coach calls the shots,” you mean the coach decides the strategy. If you say, “The board is calling the shots,” you mean the board has the real control.
The phrase is a good example of how a concrete activity can produce an idiom that stays vivid even after the original setting fades from everyday life.