Kenny Rogers taught us in The Gambler that you gotta “know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em.” Like skill in playing cards, leadership depends on having multiple plays. Sometimes one must move forward, at other times, the effective leader pauses and does not act. The skill of leadership comes in part from understanding nuance, human factors, and the uncertainty of the future.  

The range of possible leadership responses is too long to describe completely.  We know that leaders can act; leaders can also let things happen. In the first case, we are likely to think “the leader is doing his or her job,” and in the second, a skeptical voice may say, “it is the job of leaders to do something.” Just let things happen, not a leadership choice?   

Leaders sometimes need to push the pause button, and observe what is going on. During a period of no-action, the leader may be building trust, asking questions, and encouraging empowerment in followers. The leader may choose to conserve energy while waiting for the right time to leap into vigorous action. The observer may not understand the leader’s finesse in the situation. Like a poker player, the skilled leader understands minor factors in play.  

The opposite pole is action, and leaders certainly need to make things happen at the right time. At the right time, leaders initiate, they follow through, and they link vision to action. Through building a team, a leader may extend his or her performance through other people’s actions.  

Hugh Prather wrote, “There is a time to let things happen and a time to make things happen.” Leaders understand the flow of energy around them, and do not need to be the prime mover of all activity. Take the time to understand the context and critical factors in your situation before you rush through.

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