"As a business leader, there's a tension you feel but rarely name. You're surrounded by smart people, and they ask good questions. They surface real risks, meetings feel thoughtful, but progress still crawls. You leave conversations believing alignment exists, only to find a few weeks later that nothing actually moved. That plan is still a draft, and ownership is still fuzzy because people are still waiting for one more signal from you."
"Most leaders I've worked with don't think of themselves as "slow decision makers." They think of themselves as being quite thorough. I've watched executives and founders delay decisions for all the right reasons. In complex or fast-growth environments, that instinct makes sense. The problem, though, is that the cost of waiting is rarely made visible. While you're waiting, teams start filling in the gaps themselves. They make assumptions and hedge."
Slow, cautious decision-making generates hidden costs by creating friction, extra work and uncertainty that drain energy and slow execution. Teams fill gaps, make assumptions, hedge and pause while awaiting signals, which blurs ownership and turns plans into stalled drafts. Delays feel responsible in complex or fast-growth contexts but compound invisible costs as organizations adapt to leader absence. Compensating behaviors accumulate and execution loses tempo. Timely, clear decisions re-establish accountability, reduce drag and enable teams to move confidently. Leaders who set decision tempo prevent wasted effort and preserve organizational momentum.
Read at Entrepreneur
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