Have you ever been having a conversation with someone—or listening to a speech—nodding your head in agreement with pretty much everything being said?
As a keynote speaker, it’s always affirming when that happens during one of my presentations.
Last week, I was the head nodder – completely engaged with a compelling speaker. I was totally on board until he put up a slide that read:
“Speed is the new currency of business.” – Marc Benioff, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Salesforce
As soon as he said that my head stopped nodding.
I began thinking about times when speed created disasters.
We’ve all been there – when we made a decision too quickly, spoke without thinking, or acted in haste.
Speed kills.
I’ve flown on thousands of flights in my career, but I’m grateful I wasn’t on one of the two tragic Boeing 737 MAX flights that crashed a few years ago. In Boeing’s rush to compete with Airbus, they emphasized speed over quality – cutting corners in design, training, and communication. The result: 346 lives lost, over $20 billion in losses, and long-term damage to Boeing’s reputation.
Speed causes fires.
Remember when Samsung Electronics rushed to beat Apple‘s iPhone 7 to market with the Galaxy Note 7? Faulty batteries that were never fully tested led to phones literally catching fire, a global recall, and $5 billion in losses in 2017. Ouch.
Speed creates PR nightmares.
Who could forget the United Airlines passenger dragging incident (watch the CEO’s response here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-RpiGPJWuI)? In a rush to handle an overbooked flight, crew members followed policy without pausing for judgment. The result: global outrage and a major reputational hit.
Speed results in loss of trust.
Facebook’s early mantra, “Move fast and break things,” fueled innovation – but also led to massive privacy breaches, misinformation issues, and a $5 billion FTC fine. It took years to rebuild credibility.
Speed may be the new currency of business – but when it’s not balanced with wisdom, care, and reflection, it can come with a very high price.
Speed has its place – but leadership requires knowing when to pause. A thoughtful moment can prevent costly mistakes, save reputations, and protect lives. Sometimes the smartest move is to slow down.
