1. Knowledge is rarely the problem
In conversations with leaders, I repeatedly observe the same pattern: the key developments and challenges within an organization become visible early and are recognized.
From that, the necessary decisions can often be derived surprisingly early. Not in every detail. Not in every consequence. But clearly in direction.
And yet, they are often not made. Or at least not in time.
Knowledge is rarely the problem. Execution is.
2. When “too late” becomes not just inefficient, but absurd
A particularly striking example from my advisory work:
At a fast-growing e-commerce company, it had long been clear internally - after the post-COVID boom and subsequent downturn - that restructuring was necessary. The economic reality left no alternative. Plans for a significant workforce reduction were already well advanced.
And yet, in parallel, something else happened: new senior hires continued to be made. With considerable effort. With signing bonuses. Only to be let go again shortly afterward.
The hiring process simply continued. For some reason, no one in charge managed to give the talent acquisition teams a clear signal to stop early on.
A situation that is hard to explain in its consequences. Because any responsible entrepreneur would do one thing first in such a moment: immediately halt all new hiring.
Why this didn’t happen is difficult to rationally explain in hindsight. But the pattern itself is not unusual: the actual decision - or rather its implementation and communication - is delayed. And as long as it hasn’t been formally made, the system simply keeps running.
3. The same pattern in a different context
Less extreme, but just as common, I see a similar behavior in coaching conversations with executive teams.
In discussions, it often becomes very clear how organizations need to evolve: which roles no longer fit, where new capabilities are required, which structures need to change, and which leaders should take on more responsibility or, conversely, are no longer the right fit for their current roles.
The insights are there. The need is clear.
At the end, I ask: And when will you implement this?
The answer is often: In one or two years.
This continues to surprise me. Because the real question is: what exactly prevents you from making these decisions now and starting the transformation immediately?
4. Why we hesitate even when everything is clear
The reasons are almost always the same:
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We don’t want to upset people
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We are not 100% certain
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We see risks
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We hope things might resolve themselves
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We avoid the difficult conversations with those affected
All of this is understandable. And human.
But that is precisely the problem: the cost of hesitation is systematically underestimated.
Organizations continue to operate in structures that everyone knows no longer fit. People remain in roles they cannot or do not want to fulfill. Energy is tied up where it is urgently needed elsewhere.
And with every passing month, the eventual decision becomes harder not easier.
5. Leadership shows in the timing of decisions
Good leadership is not only about what is decided.
But above all, when.
Deciding too early can be risky.
Deciding too late almost always is.
Because once the direction is clear, waiting rarely leads to a better outcome. It only leads to a more comfortable delay.
6. My impulse
Which decision in your area of responsibility has effectively already been made but not yet expressed?
Where do you already know what needs to be done, but keep postponing it?
And what is the cost of that hesitation - today and in the future?
Because good decisions are not only defined by being right.
But by being made at the right time.
