FROM EXCUSES TO EXECUTION: What Leaders Must Do Today
Leadership is not proven in speeches. It is proven in what we do when we have every reason to delay.
THE TRUTH ABOUT EXCUSES
“Fuel is expensive.” “The system is slow.” “I’m waiting for approval.” “Next week is better.”
All excuses sound valid. But none of them cancel the responsibility.
The file still needs signing.
The community still needs service.
The deadline still stands.
The people we serve are still waiting.
What this means for procrastination:
1. Every excuse sounds reasonable — We can justify postponing 100 different ways.
2. Excuses do not remove duty — They explain why we delayed. They don’t erase what we were supposed to do.
3. Procrastination is a debt —
– To yourself: Small delays become big failures.
– To your team: You teach them that deadlines are flexible.
– To the public: You break trust. “The DRC said 10am but came at 2pm.”
As Dr. Rugaju notes with 25 years in government and civil society:
A leader is judged not by their excuses, but by what they delivered despite the excuses.
The Procrastination Test:
Before you postpone, ask:
1. Is this a real blocker, or just an excuse?
2. Will postponing cancel the responsibility? No. It only moves it to tomorrow with interest.
3. What is the cost of delay? To people, results, and credibility?
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT EXCUSES AND DELAY
The Bible may not use the word “procrastination,” but it speaks clearly about delay, excuses, and faithfulness.
– Luke 14:18-20 — “They all alike began to make excuses… Please excuse me.” Good reasons, but they missed the banquet.
– Proverbs 22:13 — “The sluggard says, ‘There’s a lion outside!’” We invent obstacles to justify delay.
– Proverbs 26:13-14 — “As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed.” Motion without progress.
– Ecclesiastes 11:4 — “Whoever watches the wind will not plant.” Waiting for perfect conditions kills results.
– Ephesians 5:15-16 — “Making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” Time must be redeemed.
– James 4:17 — “If anyone knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin.”
– Psalm 90:12 — “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”
– Luke 16:10 — “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.”
THE COST OF POSTPONEMENT
– Psychological: Undone tasks create guilt, anxiety, and loss of self-confidence. “A heavy heart weighs a man down” Proverbs 12:25
– Time: Lost time cannot be recovered. One delayed decision can delay 100 services.
– Social & Cultural: In our Ugandan context, your word is your character. Habitual postponement breeds a culture of “we shall see” and replaces integrity with “African time.”
– Leadership: Teams copy what leaders tolerate. If the leader delays, the entire office delays.
– Spiritual: Delay in doing good is disobedience. We are called to be faithful stewards.
FINAL WORD TO LEADERS
Excuses are equal. Everyone has them.
Responsibility is not canceled by excuses.
Leaders act now.
Managers decide today.
People of integrity keep their word.
Don’t wait for the lion to leave the street. Plant anyway.
The conditions will never be perfect. Act anyway.
Move from EXCUSES to EXECUTION — today, not tomorrow.
Because life is the total sum of the decisions and choices we make every day.
“For God and My Country”
About the author;
Dr. Ahimbisibwe Gad Rugaju, PhD, DCM (Honoris Causa) and also deputy RDC Kanungu district
