Vacillation describes the leader adept at hesitation, delay, and a tendency to demand more and more information before deciding. Even worse is the leader who with a brave face publishes his decision, but my next morning changes his mind. After a night of vacillating about the the potential damage to his reputation, popularity (showmanship), and/or job security he has over-brained (Jack Welch term) the decision and caved in to his fears.

I am still admonishing myself for the time I fired at senior leader for all the right reasons and changing my mind and rehiring him the next morning. Two or three months later, I embarrassed myself by having to fire him again.

I had over-brained the decision to the extent that I feared that I could not find a replacement at mid-year, when in fact, we would have been better off without one than to have a dishonest and disloyal leader in our midst.