‘It Will Sort Itself Out’ (Hint: It probably won’t)

Most leaders have said it — or at least thought it.
“Let’s give it a bit more time. It’ll probably sort itself out.”

It feels reasonable. Patient. Fair. And yet, issues that are left to “settle” on their own rarely do. More often, they spread sideways: performance dips, resentment grows, patterns repeat, and the eventual conversation becomes far harder than it ever needed to be.

What keeps leaders in this holding pattern isn’t a lack of awareness.
It’s the quiet pull of three cognitive biases that make inaction feel oddly sensible:

🔹 Optimism Bias: The belief that things will naturally improve, allowing leaders to delay or avoid stepping in.

🔹 Confirmation Bias: The tendency to notice small, hopeful signs of progress while overlooking the more persistent signals that something isn’t right.

🔹 Status Quo Bias: The preference for the familiar — even when the familiar isn’t working — because raising concerns risks discomfort, tension, or a shift in the relationship. 

Taken together, these biases create a very convincing narrative:
“Maybe it’s not as bad as it seems. Maybe it’s already getting better.”

This creates a form of false comfort.
Leaders feel responsible, reflective, and fair — while unintentionally allowing situations to drift. The story becomes a mental shield that protects them from discomfort but doesn’t protect the team, the work, or the person who genuinely needs clarity.

Silence can feel rational in the moment.
But it rarely leads to improvement — just delay.

If you notice yourself leaning on “it will sort itself out,” it’s usually a sign that a conversation is actually due. And when leaders approach those moments with intention and clarity, they create progress rather than waiting for it.

If you’d like to build that confidence and skill in your organisation, book a discovery call and we can explore how Essential Conversations helps leaders step out of the comfort of silence and into conversations that genuinely move things forward.