Leadership: Showing Up When It Counts
Leadership isn’t about having all the answers. Let’s start there. If you’re waiting for a lightning bolt of omniscience before you step up, don’t hold your breath. Leadership isn’t perfection; it’s presence. It’s not about crafting the perfect plan — it’s about what you do when that plan goes sideways, gets eaten alive by reality, and leaves you standing in the wreckage, wondering what just happened.
Picture this: you’re the captain of a ship, navigating through uncharted waters. Suddenly, a storm hits. The map is useless, the compass is spinning, and the crew is looking at you like you’re the second coming of Neptune. What do you do? Leadership in this moment isn’t about knowing exactly where to steer; it’s about keeping the crew focused, the ship afloat, and the hope alive. It’s action. It’s trust. It’s authenticity.
The Myth of the All-Knowing Leader
The business world loves to lionize leaders as mythical creatures — omniscient beings who possess the perfect strategy, the flawless vision. This is nonsense. Leadership isn’t about clairvoyance; it’s about adaptability. Steve Jobs didn’t have a roadmap to revolutionize technology; he had an audacious belief in what was possible and a relentless drive to figure it out. Leaders like Jobs, Bezos, and Malala Yousafzai didn’t achieve greatness because they had all the answers — they achieved it because they had the courage to take the first step into uncertainty.
Great leaders understand that uncertainty isn’t the enemy — it’s the arena. When plans fail, as they often do, leadership means pivoting without losing momentum. It’s acknowledging the failure, owning it, and finding the next best step. In the words of General Patton: “A good plan, violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan next week.”
Trust: The Currency of Leadership
Trust is to leadership what oxygen is to life. Without it, you suffocate. Leaders who navigate challenges effectively understand that trust isn’t a nice-to-have; it’s everything. But here’s the catch: trust isn’t given, it’s earned — through transparency, consistency, and vulnerability.
When things fall apart, leaders who hide behind a wall of excuses or shift blame erode trust faster than you can say “annual review.” The best leaders own the chaos. They communicate openly, admit mistakes, and invite their teams to be part of the solution. It’s not about projecting infallibility; it’s about being real.
Consider Jacinda Ardern, the former Prime Minister of New Zealand. During crises like the Christchurch shooting and the COVID-19 pandemic, she didn’t pretend to have all the answers. Instead, she leaned into empathy, transparency, and action. She showed up — authentically and consistently — and as a result, her people showed up for her.
The Power of Showing Up
Leadership is a contact sport. It’s messy, it’s unpredictable, and it often feels like a game where the rules change mid-play. But the defining trait of great leaders is their willingness to show up — especially when things get tough.
Let’s talk about authenticity. For years, leadership was defined by stoicism, a stiff upper lip, and an aversion to anything resembling emotion. That’s a relic of the past. Today’s leaders need to bring their full selves to the table. Authenticity isn’t a vulnerability; it’s a superpower.
When you show up authentically, you give your team permission to do the same. You create an environment where people feel safe to take risks, share ideas, and fail forward. Authentic leadership isn’t about being perfect; it’s about being present. It’s about leading with purpose, not pretense.
Action Over Analysis
Leadership paralysis is real. Faced with uncertainty, too many leaders retreat into analysis, waiting for perfect clarity before making a move. But here’s the thing: clarity rarely comes before action. In most cases, it’s action that creates clarity.
Take Elon Musk, for example. Love him or loathe him, the man is a master of action. Musk doesn’t wait for perfect conditions to launch rockets, build cars, or tweet about his latest ambitions. He acts, iterates, and learns on the fly. And while his methods may not win every popularity contest, they drive results.
Great leaders understand that progress beats perfection every time. It’s better to make a decision and adjust course than to stand still, paralyzed by the fear of getting it wrong.
Navigating Challenges with Authenticity
Leadership is tested in the trenches, not the boardroom. It’s easy to lead when the metrics are up and the road is smooth. The real test comes when the wheels come off — when the economy tanks, the competition heats up, or a global pandemic throws a wrench in your plans.
Authentic leaders don’t shy away from these moments. They lean in. They acknowledge the challenges, rally their teams, and move forward with grit and grace.
The late Tony Hsieh, former CEO of Zappos, embodied this kind of leadership. His commitment to authenticity and action transformed a struggling online shoe store into a billion-dollar business. Hsieh’s leadership wasn’t about having all the answers; it was about creating a culture of trust, resilience, and adaptability.
The Takeaway
Leadership isn’t about perfection; it’s about presence. It’s about showing up when it matters most, earning trust through authenticity, and taking action in the face of uncertainty.
In the end, the best leaders aren’t those who have all the answers — they’re the ones who inspire others to find the answers together. So when the plan falls apart — and it will — don’t freeze. Show up, speak up, and lead. That’s the stuff great leaders are made of.
Is this thing on? Oh, hi, there, I’m Brian, and in addition to this Medium, I wrote The Main Thing is The Main Thing. Pick it up today!
