Leadership Shows Up When Life Is Heavy

October 1, 2026 • 5 min read

This one’s a little more personal.

My dad is 78 and just had surgery to improve his circulation. His procedure was about an hour and a half south of me. I spent a Sunday with the family, drove down that night, got about five hours of sleep, we sat with him through surgery and made it back Monday afternoon for the kids. I’ve got an 11-year-old, a 5-year-old and a 20-year-old in college Running a business. Making sure I’m present for my Jenny. There are co-parenting situations that get tough as well.

Your list might look different. But you have a list. A client falls off. A deal you were sure would close doesn’t. Kids’ sports, aging parents, the stuff nobody sees. As a leader, remember this, the people on your team are carrying things too. Sometimes you know. Many times you don’t.

I don’t know if any of this will work for you. They are things that work for me. Not always perfect. But it helps.

1. Decide What Actually Needs You Today

When everything feels urgent, we end up in a tug-of-war with ourselves. What should I be doing? Who should I be with? What matters? Pick the things that need your attention. The rest can wait. Really. It can wait. I promise. You don’t have to be all the things, all the time, to all people. Slow Down.

2. Don’t Make One Setback the Story of Your Life

Clients leave. Deals fall through. People move on. It sucks, but it happens. Don’t let it get to you. It will, but learn to get past it. The best, they let it in, they wallow in it, they let it go. It’s okay to sit in it for a bit, just don’t let it consume you.

3. Tell People What’s Going On

Many of us like to hold things close to the chest. Sometimes that’s fine. I married Jenny because she’s my best friend. I want her to know what I’m carrying. You don’t have to share every detail. The people closest to you, your spouse, your team, they can’t support you if they don’t know. They need that vulnerability to know you are human.

4. Keep a Small Promise to Yourself

A workout. A walk. Dinner with the family. Ten minutes sitting with your spouse. When life gets chaotic, those small commitments keep you grounded.

The same goes for leadership. Keep the one-on-one. Keep showing up with a little vulnerability. When your team sees you keep your commitment, they keep theirs.

The Test

Leadership doesn’t happen when business is great. It happens when life is hard. When you’re struggling, where time should go and who needs you.

You won’t fix everything today. Take it day by day, step by step. Be in it, be present and take care of what’s in front of you. Give yourself grace, we all go through it.

You’ve got this. You just have to be willing to do it.

Ready to lead well through the hard seasons?

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