Why the most effective response isn’t always the fastest.

Better, Faster, Stronger? We’re primed for speed. In consulting and leadership, we’re taught that the fastest to pivot wins. But is faster always better?

There is a concept often associated with psychologist Viktor Frankl: that between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response.

Respond > React 

When we zoom right past this space, we rob ourselves of choice AND we risk ignoring our felt response which is usually steps ahead of our logic. 

Without that space, we default to a reaction loop that relies on old software:

• Stimulus: An aggressive email from a client.
• Reaction: Immediate defensiveness or a logical but cold reply.
• The Result: A bridge burned or a missed opportunity to lead.

Instead, if we pause and add even a brief space after the stimulus, the entire game changes. We move from being driven by the event to being in control of the outcome.

How to do it 

Start practicing inserting a pause during transitions throughout your day. Here’s what it could look like:

1. The Three-Ring Rule: When a notification pops up, wait three seconds before touching it. Use that beat to check your dashboard—how is your body physically reacting to the interruption?
2. The Doorframe Reset: Every time you walk into a new meeting, take one full breath. Notice the felt response (the tightness or lightness in your chest) before you start speaking.
3. Label the Impulse: When you feel the urge to react quickly, mentally name it. Simply thinking, I am having the urge to defend, creates the distance needed to choose a move that aligns with your long-term goals.

Questions for reflection:

• Where in your life is the gap between stimulus and response the thinnest?
• What would change if you waited just five seconds longer to respond to your most urgent emails?
• Can you feel the difference between a reaction (fast and hot) and a response (tempered and cool)?