To paraphrase Napoleon: The loss of time is irretrievable in war, and business. If you wait until you’re SURE your next step is the right one, you’ve waited too long! Assess the situation and when you’re fairly sure you’re right – GO FOR IT.

Incidentally, I learned this concept from another great military leader: Colin Powell. You’ll find collections of his often profound leadership insights floating around the internet, generally as an 18 point “leadership primer.” Much of the commentary attached to these points was actually written by business professor Oren Harari in 1996. Harari later devoted an entire book to the subject (The Leadership Secrets of Colin Powell). He died in 2010 and deserves much of the credit for popularizing Powell’s wisdom.