Is now the time for strategic patience?

European leaders are convening in Paris this week for an emergency summit to address escalating concerns over the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, recent shifts in U.S. foreign policy, and the threat of a tariff war.

New fault lines in global power are being redrawn, and European leaders are keen to act decisively.

This commendable decisiveness is appropriate for political leaders right now. But is it right for corporate leaders in this landscape? When is decisive action the right move, and when is strategic patience the wiser path? Knowing when to act and when to wait is an essential leadership skill in the C-suite.

Why Leaders Struggle to Wait

In an age of relentless urgency, executive leaders are under constant pressure to make rapid decisions. Shareholders demand quarterly results, employees seek immediate clarity, and crises seem to appear with increasing frequency. The ability to act decisively is often seen as a hallmark of leadership. But great leaders know that the hardest – and often wisest - decision is knowing when not to act.

Strategic patience is not about passivity or avoidance. It’s about balancing urgency with long-term thinking, resisting the impulse to react in the moment, and creating space for better outcomes. The best leaders recognise that rushing into action can sometimes cause more harm than good. They develop the discipline to hold steady, observe, and engage at the right moment—not the first moment.

Acting quickly feels productive. It gives us a sense of control, reassures stakeholders, and provides relief from uncertainty. However, the urge to do something often stems from anxiety rather than strategy. Many leaders fall into these common traps:

• Confusing movement with progress – Speed can create the illusion of effectiveness. But a fast decision isn’t necessarily a good one.
• Overreacting to short-term pressures – Quarterly results, vocal employees, or a single piece of negative feedback can trigger knee-jerk responses.
• Fearing the perception of indecisiveness – Leaders worry they will appear weak or out of touch if they don’t act immediately.
• Misjudging complexity – Some problems require deep thinking and broad input. Acting too soon can lock an organization into a flawed course.

These pressures create a bias for action that, paradoxically, can lead to worse decisions. The ability to resist that bias - knowing when to wait, gather insight, and let things play out - is what distinguishes great executive leaders.

The Discipline of Strategic Patience

How do you develop the ability to discern when it’s time to move with decisiveness and when it’s time to hold steady? Strategic patience isn’t about inaction. It’s about intentionally delayed action. Here’s a three-part framework to help leaders balance urgency with long-term thinking:

1. Observe the Issue from Multiple Angles

Before making a decision, step back and assess:

• What’s really happening? Separate signal from noise.
• Who is influencing the urgency? Is this pressure from internal politics, the board, the market, or your own discomfort?
• What are the second- and third-order consequences of acting now? Short-term fixes can create long-term problems.

Great leaders practice what behavioural economist Daniel Kahneman calls slow thinking – that is, resisting reflexive judgments and engaging in deeper analysis.

2. Create Space for Strategic Reflection

Leaders need ways to slow down their decision-making process. Consider these techniques:

• Structured waiting – Set a deliberate pause before acting (24 hours, a week, a quarter).
• Diverse input – Seek perspectives from those not in the immediate firestorm.
• Scenario modelling – Consider multiple possible futures before committing.

By deliberately creating space, leaders allow clarity to emerge, often revealing that the initial urgency was misplaced.

3. Act at the Right Moment, Not the First Moment

Strategic patience is not about avoiding action; it’s about timing it well. The best leaders know when the moment is right by:

• Identifying the “tipping point” – The moment when action has maximum leverage.
• Aligning key stakeholders – Ensuring the decision is supported and not prematurely forced.
• Maintaining optionality – Keeping alternative paths open for as long as possible.

This kind of patience allows leaders to make decisions that are both timely and well-informed.

Getting on Top of Your Own Anxiety

At the heart of strategic patience is self-mastery. Leaders who struggle to hold steady often do so because they haven’t addressed their own internal anxieties.

Ask yourself:

• Am I feeling pressure to act because of my own discomfort?
• What am I afraid will happen if I don’t act immediately?
• How often has waiting led to a better outcome in the past?

The best leaders cultivate the ability to regulate their own emotions. They know that true confidence isn’t in rushing to a decision—it’s in knowing they can handle complexity, ambiguity, and the discomfort of not yet knowing.

Leading with Strategic Patience

We celebrate decisive leaders, but the most successful executives know when to hold back. They resist knee-jerk reactions, take the time to understand complexity, and act with precision rather than haste.

Strategic patience isn’t about slowing down for the sake of it. It’s about knowing that the best decisions come not from reacting but from responding with wisdom at the right time.

So the next time you feel pressured to act, ask yourself: Is this the moment? Or is waiting the wiser move?

What are your thoughts on strategic patience? Have you ever held back when others wanted action, only to see a better outcome unfold? Let me know what you think.

I'm an executive team coach working with CEOs and their executive teams to transform their impact and effectiveness. I write about executive team effectiveness and collective enterprise leadership and conduct research in this area.

I consult globally alongside an exceptional team at Waldencroft.

Check out my podcast, Advanced Executive Leadership or reach out if you'd like to know more.?