Surprising Leadership Gifts That Don’t Come Wrapped in Bows

From setbacks to criticism, here’s how to find opportunities in leadership’s toughest challenges.

The holidays are here, and that means it’s gifting season!

But not all of the gifts you receive come wrapped in shiny paper.

For leaders, the most valuable gifts often arrive disguised as challenges. They’re not always easy to recognize, but when we take a closer look, they can spark growth, creativity, and stronger leadership.

These “gifts” show up all the time. A setback might push you to innovate. A tough conversation can strengthen relationships. Even the most annoying competitor can inspire your best work.

They’re not the kind of gifts we’d ask for, but if we’re willing to see the opportunity inside, they’re transformative.

Let’s take a look at eight unexpected “gifts” you might be overlooking in your life as a leader—and what’s waiting inside when you take the time to open them.

1. Failure

Time and time again on How Leaders Lead, the best leaders in the world tell me how grateful they are for their failures. It’s how they gained the resilience, insight, and character that played a key role in their success.

Failure is a treasure trove of wisdom, but too many leaders let the shame or embarrassment of their missteps keep them from discovering it.

Figure skater and Olympic gold medalist Scott Hamilton says that failure is “100% information.” If you respond to your own mistakes with that mindset, then failure will be your best teacher—and even a springboard to success.

2. Competition

Did you catch my Thanksgiving Day episode of How Leaders Lead with Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams founder Jeni Britton?

When her artisanal ice creams and inventive flavors took off, a lot of copycats sprang up to imitate her. When I asked her about it, she said, “[Competition] made us a better company in every single way.”

Your competition may be annoying and threatening, but don’t overlook its value. It can elevate your whole market and push you toward innovation you would have never discovered otherwise.

3. Difficult Customers

Dealing with customer complaints can feel like a headache no one wants. But if you lean in, they can become your greatest source of insight.

Why? Because tough customers reveal gaps in your product or service—and sometimes even opportunities in the market. 

Other customers may have the same frustrations but just quietly go to a competitor instead. If someone took the time to complain, listen. 

That critique might just lead to your next breakthrough.

4. Disagreement

We all like our ideas to be met with enthusiasm, but pushback can be a powerful gift. It challenges you to rethink your assumptions and sharpen your vision.

When disagreement happens in the right environment—one built on trust—it allows the best idea to rise to the top.

 It helps everyone to feel heard, even if you end up going in a different direction.

So embrace the discomfort of disagreement. That tension can spark incredible outcomes if you’re open to it.

5. The Unexpected

Few things derail a perfectly planned strategy like an unexpected change. It can feel frustrating (and if we’re being honest, overwhelming) when the landscape shifts under your feet.

But remember: big changes come with big opportunities. 

They push you to think differently and uncover new possibilities. And sometimes, they reveal a better path forward than the one you’d planned.

The key is leaving yourself enough margin to explore these shifts instead of fighting against them. Agility is where opportunity thrives, not rigidity.

6. Criticism

Nobody loves hearing what they need to do better. But unless you’re willing to embrace criticism of yourself, you’ll frustrate your team and limit your own career path forward.

I just wrote about why your feedback blind spot is holding you back as a leader because I know how important it is. Criticism is a necessary step on the road to getting better and unlocking your potential. You can’t afford to dismiss it!

It’s natural to get defensive when someone criticizes your performance, but try to shift your mindset toward curiosity instead. 

7. Time Constraints

Nothing gets the wheels turning like a ticking clock. Tight deadlines may be stressful, but they have a way of cutting through the noise and forcing you and your team to focus on what really matters.

Next time you’ve got to turn something around quickly, take a deep breath and remember: leaders who work within time constraints often discover new efficiencies and ideas.

You can’t work like that all the time, but occasionally, those sprints will help you eliminate needless red tape and work smarter in the future, when you aren’t up against the clock.

8. Resource Limits

A lot of business leaders are being asked to do more with less right now. That’s tough. But limited resources are often the spark for incredible ingenuity.

When you can’t throw money or manpower at a problem, you’re forced to find new, creative ways to solve it.

Some of the world’s most innovative products and processes were born in resource-strapped environments. Constraints don’t stifle greatness—they shape it.

I hope you’re feeling challenged to see the opportunities hidden in your toughest moments. 

Things like failure, criticism, or pushback are tough to receive. But these “gifts” also hold the power to spark growth, innovation, and resilience—if we’re willing to unwrap them.

And to do it, your greatest asset is curiosity.  Curiosity helps you move past the initial sting of that scathing review or last-minute change and instead start asking questions like:

• Why did this happen?
• What does it make possible?
• Where is the hidden opportunity here?
• What can I do differently going forward?
• What lesson do I need to learn from this?

It’s not unlike the curiosity we all feel looking at a wrapped holiday present and wondering what’s inside. Bring that same mindset to these “gifts,” and I know you’ll level up as a leader.

Now it’s your turn: which of these gifts is hardest for you to embrace? What unexpected challenges have turned out to be a gift for you? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so drop a note in the comments below. 

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