The Decisions You Delay Will Eventually Make Themselves
Putting off the hard choice rarely makes it easier. It usually makes it more expensive.
I’ve discovered something about myself that I wish I’d learned years ago. When a difficult decision lands on my desk, my first instinct is often to wait. Maybe the situation will improve. Maybe someone else will solve it. Maybe time will make the answer obvious.
It never does.
Delayed decisions have a way of growing roots. A personnel issue becomes a team problem. A financial concern becomes a crisis. A broken relationship becomes harder to repair because silence has filled the gap.
I’ve spent too much time hoping difficult choices would simply disappear. They don’t.
Leadership means walking toward the problem while everyone else is hoping someone else will handle it. That’s uncomfortable, but it’s also where credibility is built.
I’ve learned that making the wrong decision is often less damaging than making no decision at all. At least a wrong decision creates movement. You can adjust, apologize, and course-correct. But indecision leaves everyone stuck. It drains momentum and creates uncertainty throughout the organization.
If you’re facing a decision you’ve been avoiding, ask yourself one question: “What will this situation look like six months from now if I do nothing?”
The answer is usually not good.
Hard decisions don’t get easier with age. They get heavier.
Make the call. Have the conversation. Face the issue. Your future self, your team, and your organization will thank you.
Phil Cooke, PhD. has been called “one of the most innovative communicators of our generation.” As a media producer, writer, speaker, and consultant, his client list includes major film studios and TV networks as well as major Christian organizations like Voice of the Martyrs, The Museum of the Bible, The Salvation Army, and others. He’s also coached and consulted with many of the most influential churches and nonprofit organizations in the world, helping them use media to tell their story. You can hear his podcast here.
