Department leaders knows the squeeze: an inflection point lands, the pressure is on, but key decisions sit in someone else’s hands. Approvals, funding, hiring—none of them move as fast as the market signal you’re responding to.

The project may not be officially blocked, but it feels that way. Teams lose focus. Executives start asking for updates you don’t have. And your credibility is on the line.

Why Waiting Quietly Backfires

Dependencies are a fact of corporate life. But the appearance of inactivity can do more damage than the delay itself:

• Teams drift. Without a sense of urgency, teams redirect energy to other projects, and it’s hard to pull them back.

• Doubt creeps upward. Executives read silence as indecision or lack of control, eroding confidence in your ability to deliver.

• Priority slips. When progress isn’t visible, your initiative gets overtaken by louder or better-defended projects.

Waiting passively is never neutral. It drains energy from both the work and your reputation.

What Effective Leaders Do Instead

The leaders who maintain momentum don’t try to bulldoze approvals, and instead anticipate them. They prepare the ground so that when the gate opens, the project is already in stride. They also manage perception: signalling progress and keeping both executives and teams engaged.

Three Moves to Protect Momentum Under Constraint

1. Front-load your visibility.

Use idle time (while approvals or budgets are being processed) to over-communicate. Send visual progress snapshots: mockups, one-pagers, dashboards, small demo builds. One of the key findings in stakeholder communication research is that visual communication helps stakeholders “see” progress more clearly and internalise confidence.

2. Create “approval-proof” deliverables.

Not every piece of work depends on sign-off. Use the time to prepare what nobody can argue with: refined requirements, user journeys, data discovery. These things accelerate the moment you do get the green light.

3. Surface early signals.

Find indicators that show the opportunity is still real. For example: a new customer ask, a market data point, a competitor’s move. Sharing these signals keeps urgency alive and strengthens your case while approvals inch forward.

The Leadership Signal

For department leaders, acting during inflection points isn’t about charging ahead recklessly. It’s about refusing to let dependencies make you look idle. By keeping stakeholders engaged, teams aligned, and urgency visible, you send the signal that you’re in control even when the decision isn’t in your hands.

All of this ensures that when the green light finally arrives, you’ve built the momentum to hit the ground running.