As AI accelerates the pace of business, leaders are under pressure to keep up. Here’s why pausing to think may be one of the most productive things business leaders can do.

How many times over the past year have leaders been told to “move fast or get left behind”?

The race to keep up with AI has created a powerful sense of urgency inside many companies. Leaders are being asked to make consequential decisions about technology, talent and investment more quickly than ever.

We’re already seeing what can happen when organizations act before fully considering the implications. Nearly one-third of U.S. hiring managers whose organizations eliminated roles due to AI have since added some of those positions back.

While leadership will always require the ability to act decisively, it also demands knowing when a decision needs room to breathe — and that’s not always easy. It may mean gathering more information, hearing from those affected or thinking through how one change could ripple through the rest of the organization. And yet, one study reveals that only two in five leaders say they reflect weekly.

When the goal is to minimize unnecessary course corrections and wasted investments, leaders sometimes need to override the pull of urgency and simply make room to think.

Here’s why that can be difficult and how to do it productively.

Most leaders begin their careers as individual contributors. They are measured by the amount of work they produce and the results they deliver. Faced with seemingly never-ending tasks, they learn to solve problems quickly, seize opportunities and get things done — and those who do so consistently develop reputations as high performers.

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