There are good reasons to do so. Just don’t use the reasons as a cop-out.
When others react emotionally and urge you to act quickly, it’s important to test your opinion and decision. As a leader, you must not react out of fear, anger, or frustration. You must be able to see things that others cannot, even amid chaos.
The pressure on leaders to act decisively is real. Yet, when everyone around you is losing their heads, keep yours. Slow down. Remember that you can and must see things others cannot (see “The Dark Side of the Moon,” Leadership Insights, November 2023).
If you cannot make a decision, it’s probably because you don’t have enough information. Keep asking questions, researching, etc. This is not an excuse to dither and delay, putting off something you don’t want to do. You know when you’ve decided and what action you should take. You can’t hide from it by letting your fear tell you you haven’t decided yet.
For example, you’ve realized that a team member is not meeting their expectations, isn’t on board with the mission, or has interpersonal problems with most other team members. But you know it will be a complicated process with several difficult conversations. You’ve made the decision. Putting off acting is now totally on you. You have to act. Otherwise, you’re complicit in continued bad performance and aren’t doing your job.
Remember, delaying action only perpetuates poor performance and can harm your team and your organization. As a leader, it’s up to you to act decisively and take responsibility for your team’s success.