Last week an extreme weather alert was issued for South East Queensland.
On Friday morning, I woke to conditions eerily similar to last yearâs cyclone event. It had rained torrentially all night, the pool was on the brink of overflowing, the building manager was sending updates to our group chat outlining the precautions underway.
But this year felt different - because it wasnât the first time weâd faced it.
Last year, we learned. Everything weâd stored in underground cages had been moved from cardboard boxes into waterproof tubs. Weâd invested in a submersible pump and, importantly, learned how to use it. If needed, I could deploy it immediately to bring the water level in the pool down.
The worst-case scenario didnât eventuate either last year or this year.
But this year, the big difference was preparation born from reflection.
The Leadership Parallel
Storms in business are inevitable. Market shifts, regulatory changes, cash flow crunches, key people leaving, competitors making unexpected moves â the list of possibles is endless.
The question isnât if youâll face them, itâs whether youâll be better prepared the second time.
When you come through a crisis do you stop long enough to capture the lessons? Or do you simply move on once the immediate pressure eases?
As leaders we generally canât control the size or timing of external shocks. But we can absolutely control how intentionally we capture the learnings.
Every challenge creates an opportunity to learn. If you take the time to extract those learnings, document them, and operationalise them, the next storm wonât hit you in the same way.
Hereâs my challenge to you this week: Think about the last âstormâ you navigated in your business or career.
Not the headline result, but the learnings.
- What did it expose?
- Where were you vulnerable?
- What systems, skills or safeguards did you install afterwards?
- And where did you simply breathe a sigh of relief and move on?
Leadership isnât about avoiding storms, itâs about getting stronger every time one hits.
And when the next storm rolls in, you wonât panic - youâll be ready.
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