Lingering: The Silent Killer of Decision-Making
We’ve all been there. Stuck. Hovering over a decision, running the same options through our heads like a broken record. Maybe waiting for some sign or an easier path forward. Sound familiar?
I was lingering even as I wrote this. Editing. Rewriting. Second-guessing. But here’s what I’ve learned: lingering is just loitering with a purpose disguised as caution.
And it’s killing our momentum. Period.
Lingering in indecision isn’t just about taking extra time to make a choice. It does something deeper—it creates doubt, invites unnecessary complexity, and erodes confidence. The longer we hesitate, the harder it becomes to act.
Think about it: When was the last time you agonized over a decision for days, finally made a choice, and then realized… it wasn’t that big of a deal? More often than not, clarity comes after we decide, not before.
That’s why great leaders, entrepreneurs, and high performers don’t linger. They assess, decide, and move forward. They know that sometimes clarity comes after the decision, not before it.
If a CEO lingers too often:
Employees become hesitant, mirroring the leader’s indecision.
Teams lack direction and move slower, waiting for clear marching orders.
Innovation suffers because new ideas never get green-lit in time.
Jeff Bezos famously introduced the “70% Rule” at Amazon: make decisions when you have about 70% of the information you wish you had. If you wait for 90-100% certainty, you’re moving too slowly.
Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, transformed the company by shifting away from legacy software models and embracing cloud computing. If he had lingered, waiting for 100% certainty on how the market would evolve, Microsoft would have remained stuck in the past while Amazon and Google surged ahead. Instead, he made a decisive bet—and it paid off.
Lingering Stalls Company Growth
Just as lingering weakens a CEO’s effectiveness, it can also cripple a company’s ability to grow.
Slow hiring decisions mean missing out on top talent. A company dragging its feet on making an offer often loses great candidates to faster-moving competitors.
Delaying product launches means losing market share. The best innovations rarely happen in a vacuum—if you’re thinking about an idea, chances are, so is someone else.
Hesitation in responding to market shifts leaves a company vulnerable. Blockbuster hesitated on digital streaming, Kodak hesitated on digital photography, and Blackberry hesitated on touchscreens. Each of these companies once dominated their industries—until hesitation turned into decline.
Netflix could have lingered in the DVD rental business, trying to perfect its model. Instead, it took bold action, pivoting toward streaming before it was the obvious move. The company’s ability to make decisive, forward-thinking bets turned it into a global powerhouse while competitors lagged behind.
Decide, Act, Adapt
For CEOs and companies alike, the formula is simple: Decide. Act. Adapt.
Make the best decision you can with the information available.
Take action before opportunities pass by.
If needed, adapt and refine along the way—but never get stuck in analysis paralysis.
Decisiveness is a Muscle
Just like any other skill, decisiveness gets stronger with practice. The more we train ourselves to make decisions efficiently, the easier it becomes. But when we hesitate too often, that decisiveness muscle atrophies. We become passive, reactive, and, ultimately, stuck.
This applies to everything—business, relationships, health, and even personal growth. The cost of lingering isn’t just wasted time. It’s missed opportunities.
So, Where Are You Lingering?
Be honest with yourself. What decision have you been revisiting over and over again? Where are you holding yourself back? And more importantly—what would happen if you just decided?
Take the leap. Send the email. Make the call. Launch the project. Just click send.
Because movement beats hesitation every single time. Lingering isn’t strategy—it’s stagnation. The future belongs to those who move.
