The Unexpected Storm

Without experiencing some of the challenges and barriers I fought through during high school, regardless of how insignificant they seem now, I wouldn’t have had the foundation to navigate my early career stumbles in order to make the necessary pivots. Even minor adversities can play a tremendous role in preparing us to face what comes next. That said, our professional lives seemed to be clicking right along through the first year or two of our marriage. Cindy has excelled in every role she’s ever held. My move from supporting the not-so-welcome 5S implementation to facilitating the behavior-based safety process had been amazing. There were certainly bumps along the way, but even those served as great learning experiences. And by late 2002 or early 2003, I received the first request to support another facility within the company whose BBS process was struggling; truth be told, it had been kicked to the curb and requesting my support was a last-ditch effort to get it going again…

Professionally, Cindy and I had each built some positive momentum. However, our personal lives were a different story. The fact that I had stopped drinking by this point may well be one of the primary reasons she tolerated me through all the other crap we’ve had to navigate together.

As I share this, Cindy and I are incredibly thankful for our family; two great kids, who both have wonderful marriages, and six grandkids. However, getting here required keeping our kids alive early on. If you have kids, or if you’ve ever been around kids, you know that’s sometimes much easier said than done. Even the most exciting professional “wins” fell hollow when home life feels like it could unravel at any moment. Tough family situations demand every bit as much leadership as any title we’ll ever hold; many times far more when a child is counting on you and only you for support and a solid example.

Several years ago while attempting to mentor a young man who was the heir-apparent in his family’s business, I suggested that he look into a few resources that would position him for the leadership role he’d be taking on over the decade that followed. He latched onto some of the suggestions but stiff-armed many because each would require time he didn’t feel like he had. I emphasized that as busy as I thought he was in that moment, he’d never be less busy from that point on. I didn’t share that out of arrogance, but from real life experience!

When Cindy and I met, we each maintained full schedules. As we built our lives together, our schedules overlapped but became even more demanding. Not only did each new professional opportunity require more from each of us, our kids seemed to need more and more as they grew as well. For whatever reason, locking them in a closet or tying them to a tree in the back yard is frowned upon.

In the best of times, every minute of every day seemed to be packed. And then there were the challenging times. We’ll look at how the weight of the unknown can become a daily reality next - and how that provides a kind of adversity a job rarely will. Until then, reflect on a family challenge that caught you off guard and think about how a busy professional schedule may have caused you to miss the early warning signs. What seeds may still be hidden that could lead to an equal or greater opportunity now?