A downpour pelts the dark windscreen. The jet lurches as if shoved by a giant hand. With a clunk, the landing gear lowers. Three green lights—gear down. At least that’s solid. Nothing else is steady in the storm. No visible horizon. Your final approach guidance bounces around your heads-up display. You double-check you’re tuned into the right signal. Time to trust your instruments and get this baby on the ground…

You may never have flown an airplane, but you’ve been a passenger. Have you ever commented, “That was a nice takeoff?” Probably not.

But the landing—now that gets your attention. If it’s smooth as silk—especially if you’ve descended through a turbulent storm—you might even give kudos to the pilot as you deplane. On the other hand, if that pilot provided multiple landings (a.k.a. bounces) or smacked the runway like it’s an aircraft carrier, you might avoid eye contact and scoot off just grateful to be alive.

As a leader, you’ll be judged by your landing.

It all begins with your approach. Especially when things are stormy.

Let’s face it: when all around you is sunshine and smooth air, leadership is easy. When people are fully equipped, clear on their roles, enthused about their work, and in sync with their teammates, a leader can almost go on autopilot. All that’s needed is a bit of monitoring and affirmation.

The value of engaged leadership skyrockets during challenge, conflict, and crisis. If you’re not there now…you soon will be. So it’s always good to have a big picture plan.

Let me offer three elements to guide your approach:

1. Lower your landing gear early.

In other words, commit to the difficult task ahead, whatever it might be. Don’t procrastinate or succumb to wishful thinking. Orient your focus and define the problem clearly—for yourself and your team. “This is where we’re headed…and we’re setting up to land well.”

Failures in this area are too widespread to list. General categories include strategic confusion, mission creep, lack of team development, permitting a toxic culture, and so on.

But here’s a personal challenge: Are you setting yourself up to land your legacy?

For some, this means early succession planning. More intentional mentoring. Getting away from working in the business to work more on the business.

Landing your legacy includes family and friends. How can you be more intentional in those relationships? What small shifts can bring “green lights” to those key relationships that support and inspire us to land well?

2. Tune, identify & monitor.

Pilots must tune into the correct guidance signals to land safely in bad weather.

What signals guide your approach to life and leadership? Are they clear to you? Reliable?

I’m not talking about your job description. Or incentive package. Or others’ expectations. All of these may change radically over time. They are erratic guides.

In the middle of a storm, it’s especially vital to tune into your core values. They are your North Star.

Can you identify your most cherished values? How could being conscious of them help you navigate with more smooth confidence?

One way to identify core values is to consider what triggers joy or anger in us. For example, one of my core values is family. I find great joy being together. And I’ll get very fired up if someone tries to mess with them.

I’ve also found a simple Core Values assessment helpful. Check out an example on my site.

None of us can live up to the ideals of our values perfectly. But if they are clear and reliable, we can at least steer toward them in the turbulence of life.

3. Trust your instruments.

Even with a commitment to lean into challenges and honor our values, it can be easy to veer off course. Emotions might get the best of us. Competing voices can confuse. The sheer magnitude of what we face may make us feel like we’re spiraling into the ground.

Disorienting episodes are normal. But fear is a poor counselor. Stop the discouraging soundtrack in your head.

Are you clear on what is true?

A leader must confront the truth, even when it’s difficult. We discussed that in our first point.

But other truths belong in the plus column, if we bother to look for them.

Consider areas such as:

• Team strengths and resources
• Opportunities this challenge provides
• Lessons learned from similar situations
• Strategies available to manage risk
• My value regardless of how this works out

Again, I’m not suggesting rose-colored glasses. Face hard truth. Yet also trust what is good and true.

An ancient proverb advises well: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”¹

To lead well, we must engage our heart…and protect it from false guidance.

So commit to land well…tune into your values…trust what is true. It may be a bumpy ride. But you can buckle up and stay on course!

Next up…Part 2.

¹Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)