doing the hard things

I would like to believe that the idea of this blog is a no-brainer and that leaders know that they have to do the hard things and are willing to execute on doing the hard things. I have come to the realization that my assumption is wrong and that many leaders may realize they are supposed to do the hard things but fail to execute on those things when the need arises.  A phrase we like to use at Concordia is that we are developing courageous leaders, with part of that courage knowing when hard things need to be done and acting on those decisions in a timely manner.  Why might someone, when placed into a leadership role, choose not to do the hard things?  Here are a few thoughts:

• the need to be popular: many leaders come into their roles because they were popular with their colleagues and supervisors.  Leadership requires making decisions that might cause one to be unpopular with those around them
• fear of the unknown: while it is a paradoxical concept, the enemy one knows is often easier to face than the one that is unknown.  The status quo, no matter how bad it might be, is sometimes easier to face than what might occur on the other side of a hard decision
• lack of skills in difficult conversations: there is skill to having the conversation that leads to doing the hard things (and a large industry built around developing this skill).  Similar to other fears, not knowing how to have this type of conversation can freeze someone from acting in a proper manner
• lack of support:  when doing the hard things, leaders benefit from having a team who will support them and help manage the issues surrounding the difficult decision.  Doing hard things all alone is much more daunting than facing them as a team
• little or no self-awareness: sometimes leaders are unable to recognize the difficult situations around them and are unaware of the hard things that need to be done.  Being able to stop, look, and assess any given situation is not an automatic just because someone has been placed into a leadership role

Doing the hard things is a hard thing to do...and it is the right thing to do.  Leaders are called to lead, and leading means having to do the hard things when they arise.  Organizations and communities are better off when leaders consistently choose to do the hard things; people in organizations and communities are better off when leaders consistently choose to do the hard things; and leaders themselves are better off when they consistently choose to do the hard things (and by the way, the consistency of doing the hard things is a hard thing in and of itself).  What hard things are you facing right now that need to be done...and can be done only be you?