Decisiveness is Dangerous

President Kennedy’s leadership during the Cuban Missile Crisis is a lesson in how a leader serves by creating and holding the space for others’ decisions - those made contemporaneously with the leader’s, or subsequent.

By stretching out the time until making each decision, the leader not only models good decision making and gives permission for subordinate decision makers to do likewise, the leader gifts them the space to identify and transcend their emotions. The good decision maker leads others through their Step 1: Step Back.

Decision makers from the President down to the nuclear missile silo and bomber commanders had different emotions on Hour 1, Day One of the 13 Days of the Cuban Missile Crisis than on Hour 2, or Day 2, or Day 13.

Similarly for the equivalent Soviet decision makers. The President led them, too.

It takes enormous courage to resist the seduction of ‘decisiveness’ and the anxious pleas of those demanding a decision so they can make theirs. And blame you if something goes wrong.

It takes wisdom to keep your hands off the six gun in your holster of power.

Leadership is hard.