"Anyone can steer the ship when the sea is calm."

Quote

Leadership

Problem Solving

Just like a chain is only as good as its weakest link, a product or service is only as good as they are when they malfunction or break.
We all are programmed to focus on the winning streak, skyrocketing valuation, and great success. What is more instructive and enlightening is to observe what happens during the rough times.

When Things Go Well

From a customer's standpoint, the reputation of a company is made or broken during the time there is a problem or a crisis.
If a faulty product or service results in endless customer care calls that lead nowhere or jumping legal loops, then the customers will take their business to some other company.

How Companies Behave During Crises

<ul>
<li>Companies prove their real worth when they adapt themselves to changing market conditions during a financial crisis.</li>
<li>Companies which pivot themselves and take care of their employees, customers and stakeholders are the ones that thrive.</li>
<li>If they are raising CEO bonuses and firing their own employees when the chips are down, they are not to be trusted.</li>
</ul>

Decisions During A Financial Crisis

Leaders who are at the helm during pandemics, natural disasters, wars, economic crises are the ones which handled the turbulent waters with their grit and resilience. 
An empathic leader who provides reassurance, comfort and security during times of uncertainty is the one to bank on.

Leadership During Uncertainty And Fear

<ul>
<li>If your spouse stood by you during your jobless months, when there were uncertainty and stress all around, then the relationship is worth its salt. Anyone can stand beside a successful person during a good time.</li>
<li>How a partner is treated during a bitter argument is something that is remembered, not during a holiday at the beach.</li>
<li>Even the boss would remember how you toiled and ground yourself during a stressful project, not when all was smooth sailing.</li>
</ul>

Relationships When Things Go Bad

Our worst day is a chance to show our best qualities, and to stand out.
What we do during the times of turmoil and crisis cannot be faked. It’s when the real ‘us’ is out there in the open, for all to witness. One cannot stall or cook up an excuse when the problem is up close and personal. Our plans, preparations and behaviours show how much we care for our loved ones, and the people who depend on us.

We Are As Good As Our Worst Day

Career

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We tend to measure performance by what happens when things are going well. Yet how people, organizations, companies, leaders, and other things do on their best day isn’t all that instructive. To find the truth, we need to look at what happens on the worst day.

“Anyone can steer the ship when the sea is calm. ”—Publilius Syrus

We laud athletes on a winning streak, startups with a skyrocketing valuation, hedge funds seeing record-breaking returns, and so on. But it’s easy to look good when everything goes according to plan and circumstances are calm. Anyone can succeed for a while, even if it’s just out of <a href="https://fs.blog/2019/12/survivorship-bias/">pure luck </a>. It’s no great feat to do well if you’re not being challenged or tested. Watching what happens during a downswing is far more instructive.

Products and services are only as good as they are when they break, not when everything is functioning fine.

When a program stops working, do you face a baffling error message with no further guidance or clear instructions for how to get help? Is customer service quick and easy to access at any time or does it require you to jump through endless convoluted hoops? Even if you’ve had a positive view of a product or service for years, a problem that takes forever to fix or a hostile response when you ask for help will no doubt make you take your business elsewhere.

From a customer standpoint, companies are only as good as how they behave in a public relations crisis.

Do they shirk blame and try to pin it elsewhere or do they take responsibility? Do they try to cover up what happened or do they come forward with the full truth? Do they ignore any damages or do they promise to make things better for everyone affected—no matter the cost? Reputations are fragile. One incident of bad behavior will linger in the minds of customers for a long time.

From a financial standpoint, companies prove their worth when they show how they cope when something fundamental changes in the market or there’s a financial crisis.

Do they keep persisting with the old business model under the illusion that what worked before should work again or do they reimagine their approach? Do they fire staff to preserve CEO bonuses or do they play the long game to ensure they’ll be able to attract top talent in the future? Do they crumble when there’s a powerful new competitor or do they rise to the challenge? Like companies, investors might be able to perform well in ideal conditions due to luck. But when the market crashes and there’s blood in the streets, very few will know how to cope or be prepared. Only the smartest will know how to survive or even profit.

Leaders are only as good as how they lead during times of uncertainty and fear.

Do they hide away from public sight or do they serve as a reassuring, sympathetic presence that brings everyone together? Do they do what’s defensible or what’s best for everyone in the long run? Are they forced to react in the moment or were they already prepared? Ask anyone to name the finest leaders in the history of their country and they’re not likely to name those who were in power during calm, peaceful times. They’ll name those who were at the helm during wars, economic crises, pandemics, natural disasters, and so on—those who never wavered from a vision and whose consistent, empathetic appearances gave people a sense of hope.

As individuals, we tell people the most about who we are when everything goes wrong. These times are also when we stand to learn the most about ourselves.

Your kids might not remember how you behaved on a relaxed, sunny Saturday when work went well all week and you had little on your mind beyond playing with them. But they’re sure to remember how you behaved on the day when you’d lost your job due to a recession, you’d just had an argument with your partner, an unexpected bill arrived in the mail that morning, and then someone spilled spaghetti sauce on the couch. That’s the day when your behavior has the most to show them about what to model in the future.

Your partner might not remember how you treated them when you were lying on a beach on holiday together with all of your worries far away and a good book in hand. But they’re sure to remember how you treated them when you had your worst disagreement ever, over a problem that seemed insurmountable and involved complex emotions. That’s the moment when they might well make a decision about whether they’re in this for the long haul.

Your boss might not remember the work you did on an average week when everything went to plan. But they’re sure to remember the time when you stepped up, stretched the limits of your abilities, and delivered what seemed impossible at short notice while everything around you was on fire. That’s what they’ll recall when thinking about what you’re capable of.

You’re only as good as your worst day. Not because what you do the rest of the time doesn’t matter. Not because you should be expected to be perfect under immense stress or to behave according to plan when everything goes awry. But because what you do on your worst day is impossible to fake. It’s <a href="https://fs.blog/2019/11/signaling-countersignaling/">honest signaling </a>. There’s little time for posturing or stalling. On your worst day, you reveal whether you’ve been <a href="https://fs.blog/2020/06/last-disaster/">planning for the possibility of disaster </a>or just coasting along enjoying the good times. Your plans and preparation (or lack thereof) show how much you really care about the people who depend on you. You get to build and strengthen bonds in ways that will last a lifetime, or you risk destroying relationships in moments. You get to build trust and respect or you might break what you have irreparably.

Your worst day is a chance to show your best qualities, to stand out, and to learn an enormous amount about yourself. Very few people plan or prepare for what they’ll do and how they’ll act during those times. Those who do might well end up turning their worst day into their best.

What Sharks Can Teach Us About Survivorship Bias

Survivorship bias refers to the idea that we get a false representation of reality when we base our understanding only on the experiences of those who live to tell their story. Taking a look at how we misrepresent shark attacks highlights how survivorship bias distorts reality in other situations. When asked what the deadliest shark […]

Our desire to fit in with others means we don’t always say what we think. We only express opinions that seem safe. Here’s how the spiral of silence works and how we can discover what people really think. *** Be honest: How often do you feel as if you’re really able to express your true […]

Aim For What’s Reasonable: Leadership Lessons From Director Jean Renoir

Directing a film involves getting an enormous group of people to work together on turning the image inside your head into a reality. In this 1970 interview, director Jean Renoir dispenses time-tested wisdom for leaders everywhere on humility, accountability, goal-setting, and more. *** Many of us end up in leadership roles at some point in […]

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Bite‑sized knowledge
to upgrade
your career

You're Only As Good As Your Worst Day

PUBLILIUS SYRUS

When Things Go Well

How Companies Behave During Crises

Decisions During A Financial Crisis

Leadership During Uncertainty And Fear

Relationships When Things Go Bad

We Are As Good As Our Worst Day

You're Only As Good As Your Worst Day

Avoiding Bad Decisions

Reading a Book is a Conversation Between You and the Author

Bite‑sized knowledgeto upgradeyour career

You're Only As Good As Your Worst Day

PUBLILIUS SYRUS

When Things Go Well

How Companies Behave During Crises

Decisions During A Financial Crisis

Leadership During Uncertainty And Fear

Relationships When Things Go Bad

We Are As Good As Our Worst Day

You're Only As Good As Your Worst Day

Avoiding Bad Decisions

Reading a Book is a Conversation Between You and the Author

Bite‑sized knowledge
to upgrade
your career