Saying Yes Before You Know How
Some of the most important commitments in a career are made before anyone knows exactly how they will work. What matters is what you do after you say yes.
Sometimes leaders have to commit before they have a plan, because people are counting on them and waiting for certainty would cost too much. When that happens, be honest that you do not have every answer, make the decision clearly, rally the right people, solve problems one at a time and follow through, because once you say yes, people are counting on you to keep it.
During COVID, I saw a rural Iowa skilled nursing facility on the news. Residents were sick. Employees were sick. They were running out of people to care for those who depended on them. I called and left a message.
Later that day, I was sitting on a bench at the gym when the executive director called me back. He explained what was happening, and then he asked, “Can you help us?”
There was not a good answer. There was just a decision.
We did not know exactly how we would do it. Staffing was stretched everywhere. Every facility in the country needed help at the same time. But once we said yes, people were counting on us to follow through, and we did.
That moment taught me something about commitment. Many of the most meaningful things we do are decided before we know how they will work. Waiting for certainty can feel responsible, but sometimes the people depending on you cannot wait.
How to lead after you say yes
What to do when you commit before you know how
- Be honest about what you do not know. Commitment does not require pretending you have every answer.
- Make the decision clearly. People need to hear a yes they can count on.
- Rally the right people. Tell your team what you committed to and why it matters.
- Solve one problem at a time. The whole path will not be clear. The next step usually is.
- Follow through. Once you say yes, keeping it is what builds trust.
Keep swinging
Staying with something looks like this: you keep swinging even when you cannot see how the story will end. Most people do not fail. They leave too early, right before the path becomes clear. I wrote about that in Most People Do Not Fail. They Leave Too Early.
This is not recklessness
Saying yes before you know how is different from saying yes to everything. It is for the moments that matter: when someone is counting on you, when the cost of waiting is high and when you believe you can find a way. Choose those moments carefully, and then give them everything.
I share this story in my signature keynote, You Are Capable of More, and leading through uncertainty is a theme of You Are Capable of More: Leadership. See also How to Lead a Team Through a Crisis.
Some of the most important commitments are made before you know how. Be honest about what you do not know, decide clearly, rally your people, solve one problem at a time and follow through, because once you say yes, people are counting on you.
Frequently asked questions
Should leaders commit before they have a plan?
How do you lead when you do not know how something will work?
What did leading through COVID teach about commitment?
Is saying yes before you know how reckless?
You Are Capable of More
A No-Excuses Guide to Becoming Your Best Self. The bestselling book behind Chris’s keynotes and the 2026 Paris Book Festival winner in the How-To category. Many teams hand a copy to every seller at their kickoff.
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Chris Sund speaks on this in You Are Capable of More and You Are Capable of More: Leadership, for conferences, leadership teams and company meetings.
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