It is easy to look busy by continually doing maintenance tasks at the expense of taking on the big decisions. Avoiding the big calls can be damaging.
Yak-shaving or bike-shedding? Do you do this? I am talking about productive procrastination. Choosing useful but lower-priority tasks over urgent or major ones. Arranging tasks so that minor chores delay bigger duties. Full disclosure, I have been guilty of this behaviour on numerous occasions and find that I have to constantly guard against it creeping in. Clearing emails is one to watch. As is continually responding to alerts on the mobile device. The same is true of meetings when participants would rather spend time on seemingly irrelevant issues rather than focusing on the main event. This is being busy but ineffective and we are witnessing it right now at Westminster on an industrial scale. Our political classes egged on by a febrile media eager to satisfy the 24-hour news cycle spend time on leadership speculation or the Mandelson saga rather than getting on with the big calls needed to govern the country. Could this be happening closer to home – in your business? I recall one company totally obsessed with workers starting and finishing at given times – presentism. Over and above any actual output. People would “clock in” early and spend their first hour moving files around, surfing social media and doing fantasy football. Busy but not effective. Introspection and the illusion of productivity.
Leadership is often characterised through bold vision, strategic transformation, and decisive action. Business culture admires leaders who take calculated risks, make difficult calls under pressure, and guide organisations through uncertainty. Yet in many firms, failure does not occur because leaders make disastrous decisions. More often, failure emerges because leaders avoid making important decisions altogether. Avoidance is one of the most damaging and underestimated problems in organisational leadership. Leaders frequently postpone difficult conversations, delay strategic choices, ignore operational problems, or refuse to confront underperformance.
In the short term, avoidance can create temporary comfort by reducing conflict and uncertainty. In the long term, however, unresolved issues grow larger, organisational trust declines, and opportunities disappear. The failure to make big decisions can quietly weaken a business from within. Employees become frustrated by ambiguity. Teams lose confidence in leadership. Competitors move faster. Cultural problems deepen. Strategic opportunities are missed. Over time, the firm develops a culture of hesitation rather than accountability and progress. Avoidance in leadership rarely appears dramatic at first. It often looks reasonable or cautious.
Leaders may claim they need more information, more consensus, or better timing. While thoughtful analysis is essential, excessive delay becomes a substitute for leadership itself. Organisations cannot move forward when those responsible for direction refuse to act. In modern business environments characterised by rapid technological change, economic volatility, and increasing competition, decisiveness has become more important than ever. Enterprises need leaders capable of making difficult decisions despite incomplete information and uncertain outcomes.
Thoughtful analysis and careful consideration of consequences is of course important, but a point is reached when decisions must be made. In many companies, indecision creates greater damage than imperfect decisions. Leaders are expected to evaluate uncertainty, accept risk and provide direction even when outcomes cannot be guaranteed.
The consequences of leadership indecision extend far beyond delayed action. Avoidance affects culture, morale, performance, innovation, and trust throughout the organisation. Businesses require clear direction to remain competitive. When leadership delays major decisions, opportunities disappear. Examples of this include delayed digital transformation, failure to adapt to market shifts, hesitation in product information, slow responses to competitors and inability to restructure outdated operations. In fast-moving industries, indecision can be fatal. Competitors willing to act decisively often capture market share while hesitant organisations remain trapped in analysis. Employees quickly recognise when leadership avoids difficult issues. Persistent underperformance remains unaddressed, toxic behaviour is tolerated, and important decisions remain unresolved for months. Over time, employees lose confidence in leadership credibility and competence. Trust depends not only on communication but on visible action. When leaders consistently avoid difficult choices, employees interpret this as weakness, fear, or lack of direction. Employees often mirror leadership behaviour. If senior leaders avoid responsibility, managers and teams may begin doing the same. Eventually, the organisation develops a culture where problems are ignored rather than solved. Paradoxically, avoiding difficult decisions often increases organisational stress rather than reducing it. Uncertainty creates anxiety because employees lack clarity about strategic direction, job security, organisational priorities and leadership confidence. Clear decisions, even unpopular ones often reduce tension more effectively than prolonged ambiguity. People generally cope better with difficult realities than with endless uncertainty.
Tesco’s latest financial results point to a company that is undoubtedly well led. It is a massive business which has announced an increase in sales of 5.4% year on year to £73.7bn with better-than-expected profits at £3.15bn. This is a truly remarkable success story and a brilliant industry example. Already the undisputed industry leader, Tesco has a clearly stated aim of getting to a 30% share in the UK grocery market. Every possible income stream is being relentlessly pursued including the Tesco Marketplace range at 450,000 SKUs, growth in its Whoosh rapid delivery service, the drive to build the Finest range (sales currently £3bn) and plans to connect even more meaningfully and sell a wider span of goods to customers through Clubcard data. Pricecheck is another superb example of brilliant leadership. They have achieved their stated objective of hitting £200 million turnover target, set in their five-year business plan. This represents growth of 11% year on year. They have successfully transitioned the business from being a traditional specialist wholesaler to that of a brand distribution partner and are now embarking on a “Future 400” strategy, setting the target to double the business again to £400 million.
Both businesses are making the big calls, enjoy clear direction supported by effective implementation plans. Are there are any bike-shedders in these two companies? Of course there are – there always are. But they have been swamped by an army of superbly led, highly motivated go-getters focused on the deliverables. Would those in Westminster please take note.
David Gilroy, Store Excel
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