The Importance of Timing
Timing, as they say, is everything.
Let’s go back to a cold, black night in the skies over Europe during World War II.
At the very back of a bomber, 20-year-old rear gunner William Sturbridge sat alone. Separated from the rest of the crew by a long, narrow crawl space and a faulty intercom, he was cold, scared, and completely cut off.
Suddenly, the plane was hit.
Gunfire, noise, and chaos ripped through the aircraft. William was thrown against the glass with such force that he broke his nose. When he looked around, the cockpit was gone. So were the rest of the crew.
He was the only one left.
And he had a decision to make.
Should he stay in the plane, or jump?
In pitch-black sky, with no idea where he was, the odds of survival seemed slim either way.
But he jumped.
As the world rushed up to meet him, he braced for anything — a hard landing, capture, freezing water. But then: ground. And moments later, something else.
A light in the distance.
He inched toward it. It was a sign.
It read: The George & The Dragon.
Somehow, impossibly, he had landed in a Kent field… in the southeast of England… near the closest pub to the English coast.
He walked in, ordered a pint, and said to the barman:
“You’ll never guess what just happened to me…”
That night, William sat in the pub and reflected on what he’d learned. The lesson would stay with him forever.
Timing matters.
In life, in business, in everything. You can do all the right things, make all the right moves… but when you do them? That’s what can change everything.
We see this all the time in innovation, marketing, creativity, and leadership. Success doesn’t just come from what you do — it comes from when you act.
You can’t control the timing of everything. But you can learn to read the moment, to prepare well, and to be bold when the time is right.
And sometimes, that means jumping when all you have is faith, instinct, and a bit of luck on your side.
If you're interested in how timing affects decision-making, innovation, and leadership, explore our courses at 42courses.com — and discover the science behind great judgment.
