The race almost ended before it started. There was a 10-car pileup before we even got going. In this series, that’s not something you expect to see. Cars were checking up. The field compressed quickly. There was nowhere to go, and everything happened at once. In moments like that, you don’t have time to think through options. You react.

There’s a phrase I’ve heard hundreds of times over the years: “Let me think about it.” In some cases, it’s justified. But more often, it’s a stalling tactic. A way to avoid risk. A cover for not wanting to be wrong. And in leadership, indecision is a decision. It just tends to be the most expensive one.