Sometimes the strongest move is allowing the other variables to move first.

In a situation with several moving parts, acting first means committing while everything else is still undetermined. Letting others move gives you information and lets you position against a clearer picture. Restraint here is not passivity but a choice about sequence.

Before you commit, ask who else has to act and what their move would tell you. If waiting for them costs little, let them go first. You can often accomplish more with the same effort applied later.