Indecision and delays are the parents of failure.

The saying warns that failure often arises less from lack of ability than from hesitation and procrastination. “Indecision” suggests an inability to commit to a course of action; “delays” points to putting off execution even after a decision is possible. By calling them “parents,” the line frames failure as something generated over time by avoidable habits rather than sudden bad luck. In political and administrative life—Canning’s world of cabinet decisions, diplomacy, and crisis management—the maxim underscores the premium on timely judgment: opportunities pass, opponents act, and problems compound when leaders stall.