The Strategic Power of Patience in Leadership

The true test of leadership often emerges during moments of unexpected delay.

Recently, I found myself on a flight plagued by repeated maintenance issues. After the third announcement that we needed to deplane, tensions ran high. In the stuffy cabin with failing power systems, passengers around me began voicing their frustration loudly.

That’s when a simple comment from a fellow traveler transformed the entire atmosphere: “I’d much rather wait and make sure the plane is working properly before taking off.”

The effect was immediate and profound. Complaints subsided as this perspective rippled through the cabin. What moments ago had been viewed as an inconvenience was now recognized as essential caution.

This moment perfectly illustrated a leadership principle I’ve observed in successful organizations: strategic patience creates safer, more sustainable outcomes.

In today’s business environment where speed is celebrated above all else, we often:

• Launch initiatives before systems and people are fully prepared
• Implement workarounds instead of addressing root causes
• Prioritize quick delivery over quality and thoroughness

I’ve been guilty of this myself—pushing teams toward rapid implementation when what the situation truly required was thoughtful development and proper preparation.

The most effective leaders I’ve encountered possess an uncanny ability to discern when to accelerate and when to deliberately slow down. They understand that persistence without patience often leads to launching the equivalent of “broken planes”—products, services, or changes that aren’t truly ready to succeed.

My flight delay story concluded with unexpected humor—just as we finished deplaning, we were instructed to return to our seats. With knowing smiles, passengers settled back in, reconnected their devices, and eventually departed safely.

We reached our destination later than scheduled, but we arrived intact. And ultimately, isn’t that what matters most in both air travel and organizational leadership?

Where in your leadership practice might strategic patience actually accelerate your long-term success, even when it feels like a delay in the moment?