It’s the season of costumes, candy, and things that go bump in the night. But let’s be honest—the scariest thing most of us face isn’t a haunted house. It’s the decision we’ve been avoiding for weeks.

You know the one. The conversation you need to have. The process you need to change. The hire you need to make or the one you need to let go. The pitch you need to deliver. The boundary you need to set.

And yet, you hesitate. Because what if you’re wrong? What if it backfires? What if people judge you, or worse—what if you fail publicly?

So you wait. You gather more data. You “sleep on it” for the seventeenth night in a row. And all the while, the cost of indecision compounds like interest on a credit card you forgot to pay.

Here’s the truth. In times of uncertainty, the risk we fear most isn’t the decision we make, it’s the decision we don’t.

Why We Freeze When the Stakes Are High

Let’s start with some compassion: your brain isn’t trying to sabotage you. It’s trying to protect you.

When you’re facing a high-stakes decision, whether it’s restructuring your team, launching a new initiative, or having a difficult conversation with a direct report, your brain’s threat-detection system (the amygdala) kicks into overdrive.

And in that moment, your brain doesn’t care about your career goals or your leadership reputation. It cares about one thing: survival.

So it floods you with fear. It replays every past failure. It catastrophizes outcomes. It whispers, “What if you screw this up?”

And suddenly, a business decision starts to feel like a life-or-death choice.

Recent research from Harvard found that fear of regret can cause leaders to delay or avoid making tough decisions, sometimes preferring situations where the choice is taken out of their hands just to avoid feeling personally responsible for the outcome, even when they know inaction is costly. We’re so terrified of making the “wrong” choice that we choose nothing. And nothing feels safe. Until it doesn’t.

Because here’s what fear doesn’t tell you: indecision is still a decision. And it’s often the most expensive one you’ll make.

The Hidden Cost of Playing It Safe

Let me paint a picture.

For the supervisor: You know that underperformer on your team? The one who’s nice enough, but isn’t pulling their weight. You’ve been “giving them more time” for six months. Meanwhile, your top performers are burning out covering for them, morale is tanking, and you’re spending hours managing around the problem instead of solving it.

For the salesperson: There’s a prospect you’ve been nurturing forever. You know they need what you’re offering. But you’re afraid to ask for the close because what if they say no? What if it’s “too soon”? So you keep “adding value” and “staying top of mind” while your competitor who’s less qualified but more confident walks away with the deal.

For the individual contributor: You’ve been doing work two levels above your pay grade for a year. You know you deserve a raise or a promotion. But you’re terrified to ask because what if they say no? What if they think you’re entitled? So you stay quiet, resentful, and undervalued. And eventually, you leave.

In every case, the “safe” choice wasn’t safe at all. It was just slow-motion damage.

Because while you were busy avoiding risk, the risk found you anyway. It just showed up as missed opportunity, eroded trust, and compounding frustration.

Your Gut Speaks in Five Words or Less

Years ago, a colleague me something I’ve never forgotten: “Your gut speaks to you in five words or less.”

Think about it. When you KNOW what the right move is, deep down, it’s usually simple:

• “This isn’t working anymore.”
• “I need to let them go.”
• “It’s time to ask.”
• “I have to speak up.”
• “This is the right call.”

But then your brain jumps in with a 47-slide PowerPoint presentation on why you should wait, why now isn’t the right time, why you need more information.

And that’s when you know you’re not thinking. You’re stalling.

Your gut already told you what to do. The rest is just fear trying to talk you out of it.

So here’s the question: What’s the five-word truth you’ve been ignoring?

The Antidote to Fear: Action (Even Imperfect Action)

Here’s the good news. Courage isn’t about eliminating fear. It’s about acting in spite of it.

And the fastest way to break the paralysis? Start small. Start messy. Just start.

Some research suggests people who take imperfect action report higher satisfaction and lower regret than those who wait for the “perfect” moment—which, spoiler alert, never comes.

So if you’re stuck, ask yourself:

What’s the smallest, lowest-risk version of this decision I can make RIGHT NOW?

• Can’t decide whether to restructure your entire team? Start by having ONE honest conversation with your most trusted direct report.
• Afraid to pitch that big client? Practice your pitch on a smaller prospect first. Test the message. Refine it. Build confidence.
• Not sure if you should set a boundary with your boss? Start with ONE boundary. See what happens. Adjust from there.

Imperfect action beats perfect paralysis every single time.

Because here’s the truth. You don’t need certainty to make a decision. You need clarity on your next right move.

And often, the next right move is just the next move. Not the perfect one. Just the next one.

Reframe the Question: “What If It Works?”

Our brains are wired to ask, “What if I fail?“

But let me offer you a different question: “What if it works?”

• What if you have that hard conversation and it actually strengthens the relationship?
• What if you make the hire and they’re the game-changer your team needs?
• What if you ask for the promotion and they say yes?
• What if you launch the initiative and it exceeds expectations?

Fear loves to catastrophize. But hope? Hope is just as valid. And frankly, it’s a heck of a lot more useful.

Because the cost of staying stuck isn’t just what you lose. It’s what you never discover.

The opportunity you didn’t pursue. The conversation that could have changed everything. The version of yourself you never became because you were too afraid to try.

The Human Edge™: Courage in the Face of Uncertainty

We’re living in a time of unprecedented uncertainty. Markets shift. Technology evolves. What worked last year might be obsolete tomorrow.

And in that environment, decision-making feels riskier than ever.

But here’s the paradox: uncertainty is exactly when your Human Edge™ matters most.

Because AI can analyze data. It can predict probabilities. It can model outcomes.

But it can’t do what you can do:

• Trust your gut when the data is incomplete.
• Make the call when there’s no “right” answer, just trade-offs.
• Navigate ambiguity with wisdom, intuition, and human judgment.
• Take the risk that logic says to avoid but your instincts say is worth it.

That’s your edge. That’s what makes you irreplaceable.

And it only shows up when you’re willing to act, even when you’re scared.

So, What’s Your Next Move?

Here’s my challenge to you: Think about the decision you’ve been avoiding. The one that’s been sitting on your mental to-do list for weeks (or months). The one that makes your stomach clench when you think about it.

Now ask yourself:

1. What’s the five-word truth my gut is telling me?
   (Write it down. Don’t overthink it. Just write.)
2. What’s the smallest next step I can take this week?
   (Not the whole solution. Just the next move.)
3. What if it works?
   (Seriously. Sit with that possibility for a moment.)

And then? Do it. Not perfectly. Not fearlessly. Just… do it.

Because the risk you don’t take is always bigger than the one you do.

What decision are you facing right now? What’s your five-word gut truth? I’d love to hear it—drop me a note or share in the comments below.

Colette Carlson is a speaker and expert on The Human Edge™—the skills AI can’t replicate. She helps leaders, teams, and sales professionals build the resilience, connection, and presence that drive real results.