This must have been what Kennedy’s situation room felt like on 16 October 1962.
Two days earlier, U.S. intelligence photographs had revealed Soviet nuclear missile sites under construction in Cuba.
Two options were on the table.
Strike.
Remove the missiles - risk triggering a wider war with the Soviet Union.
Hold back.
Leave nuclear missiles in place - risk a strike on the US.
Both options carried severe consequences.
Both could lead to world annihilation.
Kennedy and his advisors were in the room.
Different opinions were presented on how to handle the situation.
Some pushed for an immediate strike.
Others warned that escalation could spiral out of control.
The arguments made sense on both sides.
None of them made the decision clearer.
You can imagine Kennedy pacing the room, trying to work out what the next steps should be.
He must have been thinking in minutes.
About 13 minutes - the flight time of a missile from Cuba to Washington.
They were stuck. And the world was watching - holding its breath.
So next time you feel like Kennedy did - you’ve analysed everything and still can’t decide - consider this:
Kennedy’s dilemma only resolved when something else became known:
The missiles were not yet operational.
That changed the shape of the decision.
A full strike was no longer the only viable move.
Avoiding immediate escalation - and trying to negotiate for a better outcome - became possible.
Maybe the issue is not the options in front of you.
When you’re stuck between options - and can’t pick one -
More thinking didn’t help to make the decision - it was helped by something critical that was previously invisible becoming visible.
When a decision stays unclear despite a lot of thinking - something important may still be out of view.
Find that “something” before continuing. Kennedy did - and it led to a much better outcome.
If this feels familiar:
👉 Run the Second Look Decision Diagnostic to see what’s missing before you decide
👉See why this happens
👉 📖 Read more on Second Look blog
You can continue with making the decision afterwwards.