When The Plan Changes
Good leaders face reality — then help people move forward.
A few days ago, Jay and I hopped on a plane to fly to Haida Gwaii. We got all the way there, started our approach — and then the pilot had to pull out. The fog was simply too dense to land safely. Not the outcome we’d wanted.
So, we spent the night in downtown Vancouver instead, and the next morning found ourselves walking along the oceanfront, enjoying a beautiful day we hadn’t planned for.
It got me thinking about leadership. When things aren’t going well, leaders need people around them who are willing to say so.
Bad news doesn’t improve because nobody wants to deliver it. A missed target, an unhappy client, a project that’s slipping — those realities need to be surfaced early, especially when they’re uncomfortable.
The leader’s job is to make it safe to tell the truth. But that’s only half of it. Once you know where you actually are, leadership becomes about helping people focus on what we do next.
Not pretending the fog isn’t there. Not blaming someone for the weather. And not getting stuck wishing the original plan had worked.
A good leader can acknowledge, “This isn’t where we wanted to be,” while still creating the energy, clarity and behaviours that improve the next outcome.
Sometimes you can’t change the conditions. But you can always influence the response. And occasionally, an unexpected detour gives you a pretty great view.
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