Something endemic to organizations: Certain corporate decisions and business landscape realities and the consequences of decisions made years ago create headwinds that make a manager’s job more difficult. The military describes this as ‘friction’ in the battlefield.
The fundamental step is to recognize that you will always have some level of headwind working against you. It’s not personal. It’s not exceptional. It’s not unique to your situation. Some headwinds are temporary; others are more persistent. Some of our own making!
So how do you handle headwinds?
Sailboats can go into the wind by tacking. They zig-zag a bit, using the power of a headwind to drive the boat forward. Managers are wise to think about tacking.
When you get into moments of despair about the headwinds, to the point of wondering if perhaps you should leave for another role/organization, consider two points. First, are you ready to trade one set of headwinds for another in the new environment? Second, are you still in a position for contribution and learning despite these headwinds? These are part of your stay vs. leave equation.
Embrace the opportunity to learn to navigate and endure headwinds. The more senior your role, the larger your responsibilities, the more headwinds you’ll encounter. Experience and endurance matter. A spirit of “this too shall pass” can take you a long way.
