The easy thing about hard things

Hard things suck. They’re hard because there is no easy solution, no playbook. If there was, the hard thing wouldn’t be nearly as hard. But, in the middle of all this muck, I’d like to posit the following:

“the easy thing about hard things is that

the answer is always for a leader to step up”

Let’s take a few examples of common hard things:

Cash flow ground to a halt? Step up.

  • Make yourself the point of contact for vendors.

  • Cut your own salary.

  • Make the decisions about what will and will not continue immediately.

Key leader not working? Has a critical, but toxic, colleague taken the team hostage? Step up.

  • Address the issue head-on.

  • Don’t work the hierarchy. Just step up.

Business unit not working? Step up.

  • Dig in, figure out what’s not working, and make a plan.

  • Get into the trenches. Demonstrate that you can and will figure out how to resolve the situation.

The hard thing about hard things is that there is no right answer. Both options suck.

Will you step up? Have you been fortunate enough to work under someone who taught you how to step up?

 

 

 

Alicia DiamondOperators