There are moments that test your patience, your resilience, and your ability to keep your cool-literally.
Last week, my air conditioning gave out. Not just on any day, but during a relentless heatwave, the day before a long weekend, with no available fix for a full week.
Brilliant (was not the word that came out of my mouth!).
At first, I did what most people would do. I cycled through frustration, disbelief, and a desperate hope that maybe, just maybe, it would fix itself. (Spoiler: it didn’t.)
Then, reality set in. This was my situation. I couldn’t change it, but I could choose how I responded to it.
There was eye-rolling and some resistance, but this was a time when I had to take a dose of my own medicine.
Discomfort-whether it’s an unexpected crisis, a difficult conversation, or a high-pressure decision-is unavoidable. It’s easy to get stuck in frustration, to dwell on the problem, to wish things were different. But those first five minutes of frustration? They don’t define the outcome. Your next move does.
So, I looked for solutions.
I couldn’t fix the aircon myself, but I could find ways to make the situation more bearable. I called around to hire air conditioners (everone else had the same idea as me – before me!), looked at potential Airbnb’s to hire, vented to a couple of friends (I’m not perfect!) and-when all else failed-took a deep breath and accepted that I had to ride it out.
The best leaders don’t avoid discomfort. They move through it. They:
In the end, I reminded myself that discomfort is temporary – your response is what really matters.
The next time you find yourself in an uncomfortable situation, ask yourself: Am I reacting? Or am I leading through it?
Because great leadership isn’t about avoiding challenges. It’s about how you handle them when they come.
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