You’re in a meeting. Everyone’s staring at you, waiting for an answer. Your brain knows exactly what to say, but your mouth says: “Let me think on it.” If you’ve ever wondered why leaders—including yourself—reach for this phrase like a security blanket, you’re about to find out the truth. Spoiler: we’re not always actually thinking about it.
The Decision-Maker’s Dilemma: Why Your Career Is Built on Choices
I’ve been making decisions for other people since the day I started my career. Whether I was handling urgent situations at 2 AM, navigating academic politics, or now leading operations and determining whether we can afford that new initiative everyone wants—decision-making has been the constant thread running through my professional life.
Here’s the thing nobody tells you when you’re starting out: the decisions don’t get easier as you gain experience. They just get more complicated, the stakes get higher, and more people are waiting for your answer. So somewhere along the way, I developed a survival mechanism, a verbal buffer that’s become as much a part of my leadership toolkit as my coffee mug and the mountain of sticky notes on my desk.
That phrase? “Let me think on it.”
The Meeting Room Moment Every Leader Knows Too Well
A meeting room. Any given Tuesday. Someone just asked you a question.
“So, what do you think we should do?”
Seven pairs of eyes turn toward you. The fluorescent lights hum. Someone’s pen clicks rhythmically. Your brain immediately splits into three distinct personalities, each screaming a different answer:
Brain #1: “You already know! Just say no! SAY NO RIGHT NOW!”
Brain #2: “Wait, do we have all the information? What about the Q3 numbers? Did Jenkins ever send that email?”
Brain #3: “Let’s just… buy some time. Yeah. That’s the move.”
What comes out of your mouth: “Let me think on it.”
If you’ve ever held a leadership position—whether you’re managing a team, running a department, overseeing projects, or making operational calls—you know this phrase intimately. But here’s what nobody tells you: “let me think on it” doesn’t actually mean you’re going to think on it. Or rather, it can mean that, but it might also mean something completely different.
After years of deploying this phrase, I’ve realized it falls into one of three very distinct categories. And understanding which category you’re in might be the most useful thing you learn about your decision-making process.
The 3 Hidden Meanings Behind “Let Me Think On It”
Type #1: The Performance Anxiety Stall (When You Already Know the Answer)
Sometimes when I say “let me think on it,” I’m absolutely, 100% lying to everyone in the room. I already know exactly what I’m going to say. The decision has been made. It’s locked and loaded.
But I can’t just say it.
Why? Because I’m concerned of how it’s going to land. The delay isn’t about the decision—it’s about making sure the message lands softly instead of crashing and burning.
So I need time to workshop my delivery. I go home, stare at my ceiling at 11 PM, and practice different versions:
“So about that budget proposal… No, too abrupt.”
“I really appreciate your innovative thinking, but… Too corporate. They’ll smell the BS.”
It’s the difference between “That’s a terrible idea” and “I appreciate your inventive thinking. Let’s revisit this after we review projected ROI.” Same message, wildly different landing.
Research shows this is actually one of the three biggest challenges leaders face. A ten-year study of over 2,700 leaders found that wanting to be kind often encouraged leaders to put off delivering decisions they knew would be unpopular—but this only increased people’s pain in the long run. Up to 40% of leaders admit to putting off decisions not because they lack data, but because they want to avoid immediate scrutiny.
So basically, science confirms that my mirror-practicing at midnight isn’t helping anyone. The decision hasn’t changed. I’m just choreographing the announcement.
Here’s the kicker: Nine times out of ten, when I finally deliver the decision I’ve been rehearsing, people just… accept it. All that prep work, all that anxiety, and the conversation is over in two minutes. Nobody needed the performance. They just needed the answer.
But do I learn from this? Absolutely not. Next time someone asks me something I already have an opinion on, I’ll still reach for my favorite management tool—the graceful buffer.
Type #2: The Strategic Thinker’s Pause (When You Actually Need Time)
This is the category we all pretend we’re in when we say “let me think on it.” This is the legitimate, respectable, Warren Buffett-level strategic delay.
Sometimes you genuinely need time. Not to decide, necessarily, but to let your brain do that weird thing where it processes information in the background while you’re doing something completely unrelated—like mowing the lawn, cooking spaghetti, or staring blankly at the dishwasher while it runs its cycle.
Decision fatigue is real. Our brains get overloaded by the constant barrage of questions, meetings, and Slack pings. Sometimes the wisdom is in stepping away from all the screens and letting ideas simmer.
It’s a truth Rachel Williams captures in her recent Patience . . . (A Slow Down Book): good things, and wise decisions, take time. “A lot of life is spent waiting,” she writes—waiting for the day to start, for the toast to cook, for nature to reveal its next miracle. Williams’ view is that, as things change and grow while we wait, we begin to see what was once hidden and allow the best outcomes to unfold. Her message is a simple but powerful reminder: the most impactful results are often born in the quiet moments when we allow for patience and process, not instant answers.
Some of my best decisions have come from this approach. I’ll get asked about a staff reorganization, whether we should invest in new technology, or how to handle a complex personnel issue. And I’ll realize: I actually don’t have enough information. Or worse—I have too much information and it’s all jumbled together like a junk drawer full of charging cables from devices I no longer own.
So I give myself permission to step away. I set a deadline—”I’ll have an answer for you by Friday”—and then I actually use that time. I talk to people. I review data. I take a long drive and let my brain sort through everything without forcing it.
Research backs this up: slower decision-making helps leaders build a stronger knowledge base, encourages collaboration and diverse perspectives, and helps identify and mitigate risks that faster decisions might miss.
This is strategic processing. This is leadership at its finest. Though if I’m being honest, this is maybe 20% of my “let me think on it” moments.
Type #3: The Last-Minute Panic Decision (The Most Honest One)
And then there’s this scenario.
“Let me think on it. I’ll get back to you by Friday.”
Friday, 2:47 PM. The meeting starts at 3:00.
“WAIT, WHAT WAS THE QUESTION AGAIN?!”
Here’s the most honest flavor: You set a decision date. Everyone feels reassured. You feel reassured. You’re going to really dig into this problem, weigh all the options, consider the implications.
And then work, life, and impulse dog-meme scrolling intervene. Other things pop up. Actual fires need putting out. The week disappears in a blur of emails, meetings, and that thing where you walk into a room and completely forget why you’re there.
Suddenly it’s Friday afternoon and I haven’t thought about the decision once. Not even a little bit.
But here’s where it gets interesting: I still have to make the decision. The deadline is here. People are waiting. There’s no extension, no do-over. So I take a deep breath, trust my gut, and… make the call.
And you know what? Sometimes these panic decisions are actually pretty good.
Sometimes the last-minute, back-against-the-wall decision is actually freed from overthinking. All that time I could have spent second-guessing myself? Gone. No time for analysis paralysis. Just experience, pattern recognition, and whatever wisdom I’ve accumulated doing this job for years, all converging in a moment of clarity (or panic-induced tunnel vision, depending on how it goes).
It’s like my brain has been working on the problem in the background anyway. And when the deadline arrives, all that subconscious processing just… surfaces. With a flourish and three espresso shots in my bloodstream, I deliver the verdict.
The risk? Sometimes those calls are brilliant. Other times, you realize you might have benefited from actually thinking about it. But that’s the gamble you take when you let the deadline do the deciding.
Why All Three Types Work (And When They Don’t)
Here’s what I’ve learned: all three approaches can lead to good decisions. And all three can lead to spectacular failures.
The performance anxiety version works when the decision is correct and I just need to communicate it well. It fails when I’m so focused on delivery that I don’t question whether the decision itself is right.
The strategic thinking version works when I actually use the time productively. It fails when I’m avoiding conflict or trying to make everyone happy—which only makes things worse.
The last-minute panic version works when I’m relying on genuine expertise and intuition. It fails when I’m making a snap judgment based on incomplete information and pretending it was “trusting my gut.”
The trick isn’t to always use one approach. It’s to know which one you’re actually in.
And here’s the reality your team already knows: they’ve seen your “think on it” face enough times to recognize the pattern. Prolonged delays drain morale and create tension. Nobody wants to be stuck in decision limbo forever.
But research also suggests that leaders who can inject humor into decision delays build trust and rapport. When you can own your quirks and let people in on the joke, the wait becomes less painful. A leader who laughs at themselves paves the way for healthier team dynamics.
4 Ways to Make “Think On It” Work Better for You
- Know When You Already Have Your Answer
If you already know your answer, just say it and deal with the reaction in real-time. Or be honest: “I know what I’m leaning toward, but I want to communicate this clearly. Give me until tomorrow.” - Actually Use Your Thinking Time
If you genuinely need time, set a deadline, block it out, and use it. Be candid: “I need to noodle on this. Expect an answer Friday.” - Set Real Deadlines (And Keep Them)
The explicit timeline keeps everyone sane. Share it, stick to it. Don’t let your “think on it” become secret code for “I’m never making this choice.” - Use Humor as a Leadership Tool
Own your quirks. A line like, “I’d like to say I’m asking for more time out of strategic genius, but honestly, I need another cup of coffee—and maybe a nap,” disarms tension and brings people closer. It’s vulnerable without being incompetent.
The Leadership Skill Nobody Teaches You (And Your Turn)
The phrase “let me think on it” isn’t bad. It’s actually one of the most powerful tools in a leader’s arsenal. It gives you space. It tells people they’re not in limbo forever. It forces you to commit to a timeline.
But like any tool, it works better when you know what you’re actually using it for.
I’m still figuring this out. I still say “let me think on it” probably too often. I still rehearse difficult conversations in my head at midnight. I still sometimes realize at the last minute that I haven’t actually thought about something I promised to think about.
But I’m getting better at recognizing which version I’m in. And that awareness—knowing whether I’m performing, processing, or procrastinating—has made me a better decision-maker than any amount of mirror-practicing ever could.
The truth is, if persistence, collaboration, and a sense of humor are leadership’s secret sauce, then “let me think on it” is the seasoning that brings it all together. You just have to know when you’re adding flavor and when you’re covering up something that’s already gone bad.
So next time you feel a “think on it” moment coming, clarify whether you’re buying time for emotional wisdom, strategic calculation, or just holding off competing priorities. Be honest about which type you’re in. Make procrastination a tool, not a trap. Set your deadlines. Honor them.
And when all else fails, just remember that somewhere, someone else is also sitting in a meeting, feeling seven pairs of eyes on them, and reaching for the same phrase you are:
“Let me think on it.”
We’re all in this together.
Which of these three types resonates most with you? Are you a performance rehearser (Type #1), a strategic thinker (Type #2), or a last-minute decision warrior (Type #3)? Drop a comment below—I’d love to hear your “let me think on it” confession. And if you found this helpful, share it with another leader who needs to know they’re not alone