As leaders, we often expect instant results from the decisions we make. We launch new initiatives, implement new processes, and introduce new strategies, only to look at the numbers a week later and feel frustrated when we don’t see progress. However, one of the biggest leadership lessons I’ve learned is that the real impact of today’s decisions is only visible months down the line.
The Shift in Perspective: Understanding Delayed Results
Early in my management journey, I assumed that making a great decision or rolling out a process improvement would lead to immediate improvements. When I was working in smaller teams of 2-5 people, I did see faster results, sometimes in as little as a few weeks. But as teams grow, the dynamics shift, and so does the speed of implementation and impact.
I truly realized this two years ago when I was working at Recruiter House, a company that had scaled past 30 employees. Leading a larger team meant that information took longer to propagate, processes took more time to refine, and adoption wasn’t immediate. I found myself checking the numbers a week after implementing a change, expecting to see movement, and feeling disappointed when I saw none.
I started questioning whether the decisions we were making were even the right ones. Were we focusing on the wrong things? Were we not moving fast enough? Was something missing?
The “Aha” Moment
During a one-on-one meeting with our CEO, I voiced my concerns. I told him that I wasn’t seeing immediate results from the changes we had introduced, and it was frustrating. That’s when he shared a piece of advice that completely shifted my perspective:
“Be patient. The decisions we make today will create the impact we want, just not immediately. It takes time for change to ripple through a growing organization.”
Listening to this, it all clicked. With growth comes complexity. What worked in a team of five doesn’t necessarily work the same way in a team of 30 or more. The bigger the organization, the longer it takes for change to settle in and show tangible results.
Why Bigger Teams Experience Delayed Results
As companies scale, they naturally develop more layers—more departments, more processes, more decision-makers. The impact of a new policy or process has to be filtered through multiple levels before it reaches everyone. Here’s why change takes longer in larger teams:
✅ More stakeholders involved – Decisions impact more people, requiring more alignment and buy-in.
✅ Longer adoption cycles – Training, awareness, and implementation all take more time.
✅ Interdependencies between teams – A change in one area may require adjustments in others before results become visible.
✅ Behavioral inertia – People take time to adjust to new ways of working, even when they agree with the change.
Leadership Lessons: Patience, Consistency, and Strategy
What I took away from this experience was simple but powerful: the best leaders don’t just focus on making great decisions, they understand the timeline of results. Here are three key lessons every leader should keep in mind:
1️⃣ Expect Delayed Results – Understand that when working in a growing organization, decisions take longer to show impact. Be patient.
2️⃣ Stay Consistent – Don’t abandon a decision or process just because you don’t see instant success. Give it time to work.
3️⃣ Be Strategic – The bigger the company, the harder it is to undo changes. Think long-term before implementing big shifts.
Final Thoughts
In the fast-paced world of startups and growing businesses, it’s easy to fall into the trap of expecting instant gratification. But true leadership requires patience, perspective, and a deep understanding of how change happens at scale.
If you’re a manager or founder leading a growing team, take a step back. Evaluate your expectations. Give your decisions time to play out before judging their success or failure.
How long does it usually take for your decisions to show results? Have you ever been frustrated by slow progress?