When a big, nasty problem is hanging over your head, either pull it closer or let it go.

Leaders sometimes hesitate to pull such problems closer. You might try to delegate it or convince yourself that others can handle it. When neither option pans out, you still might delay rolling up your sleeves and diving in.

Perhaps this is a problem in which the ambiguity is so overwhelming, it’s hard to just get your head around it. When others try, they’re not sure what to do, so they push it away… or they procrastinate… or they ask somebody else to solve it.

Here’s one of my favorites, which I sometimes see: the leader gets a bunch of people working on the same problem and sees if anyone comes back with a viable answer.

A far better strategy is to pull the problem closer and solve it once and for all.

But what if you do this—or are tempted to do so—and you come to the realization: this is not worth solving?

What if the time and resources required to solve the problem—even though it is persistent and seems important—just aren’t worth the investment?

What if it turns out to be your fourth most important priority, which means it is just important enough to distract you from your three absolute priorities?

In such a case, the right thing to do might be to let it go. Put it away. Make a note to check back in six or nine months, just in case anything has changed.

Bottom line: Don’t get stuck in the middle. Either dive in or move on.