Maybe later.
Maybe when the market stabilizes.
Maybe after Q4.
Maybe when we have more time.
Maybe is the polite assassin of extraordinary outcomes. It whispers comfort while strangling possibility. We use it to avoid the difficult conversation, delay the bold move, postpone the crucial decision.
A lesson I’ve learned working with founders who scaled and those who didn’t: The ones who created exceptional value rarely, if ever, lived in maybe.
“The cost of being wrong is less than the cost of doing nothing,” wrote Seth Godin. He’s right. But we’ve made maybe feel safe, prudent even. We’ve dressed it up as strategic thinking when it’s often just fear wearing a business suit.
The leader who says “maybe we should address that leadership gap” already knows the answer. The CEO who says “maybe it’s time to reposition” has already felt the market shift. The team that says “maybe we need to have that difficult conversation” is already paying the price of silence.
Maybe isn’t consideration. It’s a postponement in the disguise of thoughtfulness.
What if we replaced maybe with a different question: “What would need to be true for this to be a yes or a no?”
Now we’re thinking. Now we’re leading. Now we’re creating the conditions for decision rather than deferral.
The fastest path to creating extraordinary value isn’t avoiding mistakes. It’s eliminating maybe from your vocabulary when clarity is what’s required.
What are you saying maybe to today that deserves a real answer?
