Never Accept a Hobson's Choice
What If You Only Had One Choice?
“A leader’s power lies in having options. The moment you have only one choice, you are at the mercy of circumstances.” — John C. Maxwell
Have you ever heard the phrase “Hobson’s choice”?
It refers to a situation where you have only one option — take it or leave it. The term comes from Thomas Hobson, a 16th-century stable owner who managed the workload of his horses by offering customers a single choice: take the horse nearest the door, or take none at all. It created the illusion of choice when in reality, there was no real alternative.
The phrase stayed obscure to me until I read about a tragic plane crash. The article mentioned that the pilot had faced a Hobson’s choice — one course of action, no real alternatives. The outcome was devastating.
That phrase never left me.
It was an extreme case, of course. But it made me think about how often we find ourselves in smaller versions of the same situation — in our careers, our relationships, our decisions — backed into a corner with no real room to move.
Jeff Bezos once said: “In business, the worst position to be in is one where you have no choice. Always create alternatives.”
He was speaking about business. But the principle reaches far beyond it.
Chamath Palihapitiya echoed the same idea in his widely viewed talk, “30 Years of Business Advice in 13 Minutes.” His advice was simple and direct: “Preserve optionality at all costs.”
Two of the most successful minds in business. The same core principle. That’s not a coincidence.
When I look back at the most frustrating moments of my career, they weren’t always the hardest challenges. They were the moments with the fewest options. The times when circumstances had narrowed my path to a single lane, and I had no choice but to take it.
That realization shaped how I approached the rest of my career. Over the years, I focused deliberately on strengthening my capabilities — not just to perform better in my current role, but to create more options for my future. Skills, relationships, experiences — each one a door that might open when I needed it most.
It wasn’t always easy. And I won’t pretend that life always cooperates. There are times when circumstances genuinely limit our choices, no matter how well we prepare. But the more intentionally we work to create alternatives, the better positioned we are to shape our future — rather than being shaped by it.
Life, in many ways, is a game of probability.
We can’t guarantee outcomes. But we can improve our odds. When we proactively build options — in our careers, our finances, our relationships, our health — we increase the likelihood of getting where we want to go. We move from reacting to circumstances to anticipating them.
The goal isn’t to eliminate uncertainty. It’s to make sure that when uncertainty arrives, you’re never left with only one door.
Thomas Hobson’s customers had to take the horse nearest the door — or walk away entirely.
You deserve better options than that.
What alternatives can you create today that will help you take control of your own path — no matter what circumstances come your way?
Absolutely James. Everyone needs a back up plan. Sometimes it’s unavoidable, and everyone will be in that situation. But the goal should be to work towards having options.