Before The Fire

Here’s the thing about most crises.
They don’t arrive unannounced.

The signs are usually there early.
The tone shifts in meetings.
A hesitation where confidence used to live.
Conversations that suddenly feel careful.

I once watched a small disagreement between departments linger for weeks, maybe months. By the time it reached my desk, it had moved from tension, to conflict, to a resignation.

And if I’m honest, I knew.
Long before anything burned, I could sense the heat.
Leaders almost always can.

But too often, we wait.
We hope time will smooth it out on its own.
It rarely does.

Sometimes the pause comes from uncertainty.
Sometimes it comes from avoidance.
Either way, pretending it isn’t there rarely leads anywhere good.

There are problems only leadership can solve.
Delay is usually what turns them serious.

And many times, leaders start searching for answers
when the real issue is that we’re asking the wrong question.

We ask how to fix it quickly.
How to make it go away.
How to keep the peace.

But those questions usually come too late.

Escalation is the enemy.
It’s easy to think the role is to put out the fire.
In reality, strong leadership responds in a way that doesn’t create more damage than the original problem.

Over time, I’ve learned to slow things down before acting.
To picture what a healthy ending actually looks like.
Not just resolution, but a team stronger on the other side.

I’ve learned to look past the storm.
Surface issues are rarely the real ones.
Most tension traces back to something small that was never addressed.

Precision matters.
Big reactions feel decisive, but they often leave scars.
The shortest, cleanest path usually preserves the most.

And I’ve learned that honesty protects culture.
When people understand the vision and values, alignment follows.
When they don’t, confusion spreads faster than conflict ever could.

In leadership, the real win isn’t just solving the problem in front of you.
It’s leaving things healthy enough that the next one never gets the chance to start.

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