True vs. False Urgency: Leading with Excitement, Not Fear

I often hear from CEOs that their teams lack a sense of urgency.

This is usually when things aren’t going so well in the business — maybe a slow quarter or a missed product release. The CEO feels like maybe the team doesn’t care as much or work as hard as she does.

So, they react instead of respond and try to light a fire under their team.

But, there’s a fine line between pushing your team with real urgency and running them ragged with a false sense of urgency. The difference between the two? It comes down to whether you’re leading from a place of excitement and opportunity—or fear and anxiety.

With a bit of reflection, most CEOs can reconginze when they’re leading with a true sense of urgency. Let’s take a look.

False Urgency: Reacting from Fear

False urgency is tricky because it can look like progress. Your team is running around, attending endless meetings, sending emails late into the night. But when you look closely, you realize it’s all noise with no clear purpose. False urgency is what happens when people are reacting to pressure, driven by fear. It’s activity for the sake of appearing busy, not real forward momentum.

The problem with false urgency is that it’s exhausting. When your team is scrambling out of fear—fear of failing, fear of letting others down, fear of losing control—they end up making decisions based on what feels safest, not what’s best. It’s the hamster wheel: frantic energy that doesn’t really move you forward.

False urgency doesn’t just waste time; it drains the morale of your team. People get burned out. They’re busy, but they’re not productive. They’re running to avoid something bad happening instead of racing toward something great.

True Urgency: Excitement Drives Action

True urgency is completely different. It’s fueled by excitement. When your team has a true sense of urgency, it’s because there’s an opportunity so compelling, so exciting, that they can’t wait to get there. You’re moving fast, but with purpose. The energy is positive, not panicked. It’s the difference between reacting out of fear and proactively chasing something amazing.

True urgency feels like forward motion. There’s clarity around what needs to be done, and every action is aimed at making progress. When your team is driven by true urgency, they’re not just keeping busy—they’re laser-focused on what really matters. They’re taking action not because they’re scared of what might happen if they don’t, but because they’re excited about what’s possible.

As a CEO, it’s your job to foster that true urgency. Get your team excited about the vision. Show them the opportunity and make it real. When they see what’s waiting on the other side, they’ll feel that same sense of urgency you do—and they’ll move fast because they want to, not because they have to.

How to Cultivate True Urgency:

1. Inspire with Opportunity: Show your team what’s possible. Paint a picture of the exciting future you’re all chasing. When they’re focused on a compelling goal, urgency becomes a natural response.

2. Cut Out the Fear-Based Noise: Watch for signs of false urgency—endless meetings, reactive decisions, scrambling without a clear purpose. Make it clear that being busy isn’t the same as being productive.

3. Prioritize the Big Wins: True urgency means focusing on the right opportunities, not just any activity. Help your team prioritize the work that will make the biggest impact, and eliminate distractions that don’t move the needle.

4. Model Excitement, Not Panic: If you’re leading from a place of fear, your team will pick up on that. Show them what it looks like to be fired up about an opportunity. When you’re excited, they’ll get excited too.

In the words of John Kotter, author of A Sense of Urgency, true urgency is about driving meaningful action aimed at opportunity. False urgency is about reacting to pressure without real focus. If you want your company to thrive, you need to help your team see the difference and lead them toward that exciting future.

For more insights on building a culture of true urgency, check out John Kotter’s work in A Sense of Urgency or explore his resources at Kotter International.