Some things are really hard to teach because they are as much about natural ability as they are about skill and behavior—things like boldness, empathy and critical thinking. They are the small capabilities that make a big difference related to high performance and effective leadership.

Another is a sense of immediacy. It’s such a relative characteristic that connects directly to your internal motor. Your sense of immediacy is demonstrated in how you respond to something important. For some, “I’ll get right on it” means “I’ll clear what I’m doing now and take care of it. NOW.” For others, it means “I’ll make sure it’s the first thing I do tomorrow.”

Immediacy becomes a problem when you have to reprioritize what you’re doing. That’s harder for some because when you have your priorities and schedule set, you want to follow them. Opportunities are viewed as an intrusion, so you put minimal effort into addressing them. Where’s your flexibility?

On the other hand, just because something is staring you in the face doesn’t mean it is more important or that you must respond immediately. You have to use your judgment. Now the question isn’t about flexibility; it’s about discipline.

Immediacy matters because when it is lagging, you find yourself wishing you gave that feedback to someone earlier. Or you wish you had pursued that lead harder. Or you wish you had shared that information sooner. Or you wish you had spent more time thinking and preparing.

The problem is that all of your wishes and regrets are past tense. After the fact isn’t any good unless you learn how to prevent them next time. If your regrets happen a few times, you aren’t learning. You need to recalibrate your sense of urgency. While calibrating immediacy may be difficult to learn, you can get better, regardless how good you are naturally.

Do you demonstrate a healthy sense of immediacy? Not frenetic, but energetic? Your clients expect it; your colleagues require it and you’re better for it.