Leaders See Obstacles as Opportunities

When I look back over a 35+ year career in business, I can recall many tough, challenging years. These challenges were driven by economic conditions, raw material shortages, increasing customer expectations, and/or reduced corporate funding support. Regardless of the source of the challenge, these obstacles were also opportunities.

The opportunity was to embrace the challenge and further connect with the team, further clarify the purpose, refine the focus on key drivers, and engage the team at a deeper level. Many executives and managers get so caught up in overcoming the obstacle that they fail to recognize and take advantage of the opportunity.

Obstacles create moments of high influence. Leaders recognize these moments and go beyond just solving the problem, resolving the issue, or navigating through the obstacle and take advantage of the opportunity to positively impact the organization. One can come out of a difficult period tired, bruised, and broken or united, purposeful, and inspired. The leader will dictate the outcome!

I recall a challenging year during my position as a regional general manager. I was responsible for eleven manufacturing facilities with roughly 1200 team members. We were going into a year with limited capital investment and quite a few investment needs. Our equipment was old and needed upgrades. Our customer base was demanding and challenging. It would have been easy for us to fall into a victim mentality and just start complaining and blaming. We could have just accepted a bad year and blamed others. Victim mentality could have easily taken over.

Rather than allow our people to become victims, I thought back to a documentary that I had seen on Navy SEAL training. Their meeting room was a concrete floor, metal chairs, and a chalkboard. Their training facility was a sandy beach with rusted pullup bars, old tires, and salt water. Nothing fancy, but the most elite athletes and fighting force in the world. They embraced the toughness of the moment to become the best. Contrast that picture with what the major university athletic programs "must have today" to attract and train their athletes.

We took that mindset of toughness. Symbolically, I bought a metal chair from Home Depot and swapped out my nice executive office chair for the entire year. I shared a picture of that metal chair in my office with the eleven facilities and challenged all of them to also embrace the toughness of the year! We went on to do many things to embrace the moment, tackle the obstacle, and take advantage of the opportunity to not only navigate through the obstacle but to strengthen our teams.

While I traveled over half the year to facilities leading this message of toughness and focus, I will say that my time in the office was uncomfortable in that metal chair! It was a point of discussion for anyone that came by that office and was a point of discussion on each plant visit. Sound silly? Maybe! However, it was the beginning of our avoiding falling into the victim trap. We took control of what we could control. That's what leaders do!

As you look ahead to 2025, you are likely already thinking about obstacles in the way. Some of them may be carrying over from this year while others are lurking around the corner. Regardless of your industry or market, there will be challenges. The question is not only whether you solve the problem or overcome the challenge, but also whether you will take advantage of the opportunity. Will you recognize the moment and take advantage of it?

Leaders see things that others don't see. Leaders see things before others see them. Leadership goes beyond just basic management. Leaders are always seeking to have influence and to move the organization forward. Leaders will always see obstacles as opportunities!