THE URGENCY TRAP: HOW DELAYED DECISIONS ARE QUIETLY UNDERMINING YOUR BUSINESS

In today’s high-pressure business landscape, leaders pride themselves on decisive action and agility. But too often, well-intentioned leaders inadvertently create disruption for their teams—not through poor intent, but through delayed communication and decision-making. Critical information isn’t shared in a timely manner. Certain decisions get postponed until they become urgent. And when leaders finally act, they unintentionally force their teams into last-minute scrambles, undermining efficiency, productivity, and results.

This isn’t about bad leadership. It’s about a blind spot that even the most experienced leaders fall into: the failure to recognize how their timing impacts performance downstream.

The Unseen Cost of Creating Urgency

When leaders delay sharing critical information or making decisions, they set off a domino effect that disrupts workflows, derails priorities, and pressures teams into reactive “fire-drill” mode. While these delays are rarely intentional, they create significant downstream issues—ones that directly impact timelines, deliverables, and business outcomes.

Leaders with a high bias to action often compound this problem. They’re quick to jump in once they realize something has slipped, pushing hard to resolve it. But this “jump into action” mindset—without considering second and third-order impacts—creates urgency for others, forcing them to abandon planned work and scramble, leading to missed deadlines, reduced quality, and suboptimal results.

While it’s valuable to have action-oriented leaders, it’s equally critical to balance this with foresight. Disruptions to workflows aren’t always avoidable—but those caused by preventable delays in sharing information or making decisions absolutely are.

Why This Matters More Than You Think

The consequences of creating unnecessary urgency go beyond team dynamics. It directly impacts business performance. Unplanned work impacts other deadlines, leads to mistakes, and often, missed strategic objectives. Constant reactivity slows down long-term progress, increases operational costs, and can tarnish a team’s reputation for delivering timely, consistent, high-quality results.

Leaders who understand these ripple effects—and adjust their habits—don’t just create more efficient teams; they build operations that consistently perform at a higher level and drive better business outcomes.

Recognize the Pattern, Change the Outcome

The first step is awareness. Leaders must ask themselves:

• Am I unintentionally delaying key information or decisions, believing it won’t impact the team or thinking it’s helpful to avoid overloading them, yet ultimately hindering their ability to execute efficiently??
• Do I often push for immediate action when something resurfaces, without considering how it affects project timelines and deliverables?
• Am I balancing my bias to action with foresight about second and third-order impacts on business results?

Once you recognize the pattern, it’s easier to change the outcome.

Imagine this: A leader overlooks an important message, leaving a critical decision in limbo. Weeks pass, and the unresolved issue resurfaces, now demanding immediate attention. Suddenly, the leader scrambles to address the problem, triggering a flurry of activity and forcing the team into reactive mode. What could have been a straightforward decision turns into a high-stakes rush, jeopardizing timelines, quality, and overall results.

Or this scenario: A leader fails to discuss a change to process with key stakeholders that impacts their workflows.  Weeks later, the issue resurfaces, triggering a sense of urgency.

In both case, the leader scrambles to get the projects back on track, pushing the team into overdrive to meet the looming deadline. While the leader’s intentions are good, this last-minute rush forces the team into reactive mode, heightening the risk of mistakes and compromising the overall quality of the final deliverable.

A better approach? Transparency and accountability. Saying something as simple as, “I realize I delayed this, and I don’t want that to compromise our results. Let’s figure out a timeline that allows us to move forward without sacrificing quality,” can recalibrate the plan and lead to a stronger outcome.

Strategies to Minimize Unnecessary Urgency

To break the cycle of creating unintentional chaos, leaders should adopt these strategies:

• Proactively Share Critical Information: Don’t wait until it’s convenient. Share updates as soon as they arise so the team can plan and execute efficiently.
• Time Block for Critical Reviews: Set aside focused time daily to review emails and tasks that could impact others. This simple habit prevents key items from falling through the cracks and ensures smoother execution.
• Communicate Early, Even If Incomplete: Even if you don’t have all the answers, a quick update like, “I’m reviewing this and will have a decision by Friday,” gives the team clarity and helps them plan.
• Own Delays, Absorb the Impact: When you know you’ve caused a delay, take responsibility. Work with the team to create a feasible plan and avoid simply pushing the urgency downstream.

Leadership Insights on Managing Urgency

• “The essence of leadership is not creating urgency but fostering clarity and foresight that allows teams to operate with purpose and calm.” — Stephen Covey
• “Urgency is often a symptom of poor planning. Leaders who manage their time and decisions well help their teams avoid the chaos of constant fire drills.” — John C. Maxwell
• “Good leaders don’t just manage time; they manage energy and focus—for themselves and their teams.” — David Allen, Getting Things Done

The Leadership Advantage

High-performing teams aren’t built on constant reactivity—they’re built on clarity, foresight, and results-driven leadership. Leaders who master the timing of their decisions and communication don’t just reduce inefficiencies; they create an environment where teams can consistently deliver high-quality outcomes.

By being intentional about how and when you share information, you can transform moments of chaos into opportunities for strategic execution. It’s a simple shift—but one that can dramatically elevate your team’s performance, reputation, and bottom-line results.