When Plans Fall Apart, Leadership Shows Up
This week was supposed to be a “Wendy Week”.
After giving my all, and I mean all, for the entire year, I planned to rest. I expected to come off a major event feeling proud, recharged, and rewarded for the work. I thought I would finally exhale.
That is not how it went.
The event broke even. We came home with hundreds of leftover donuts. And the employee drama was intense enough to derail even the calmest person on a good day. It was disappointing, exhausting, and not at all what I had planned.
For a moment, it would have been easy to spiral.
Instead, I stopped and got focused.
Control What You Can Control
When plans fall apart, panic feels natural. But panic does not solve problems.
What does help is narrowing your focus to what you can control. You cannot control turnout, timing, or other people’s behavior. You can control how you respond, what you prioritize, and how quickly you act.
So I pivoted.
We launched a flash sale to move excess inventory and protect cash flow. I made the decision quickly, without overthinking it. The result was immediate. The flash sale worked. It helped salvage the event and brought in much needed cash flow.
What started as a reactive decision may become a repeatable strategy. A simple, practical way to create momentum when things feel tight. That is often how the best ideas are born.
Objectivity Is a Leadership Skill
When emotions run high, problems can feel personal. Strong leadership requires stepping back and looking at the situation objectively.
The business was not failing. One event underperformed and created excess inventory. Once I separated facts from fear, the solution became clear.
This skill applies far beyond running a donut shop. Whether you are leading a team, managing projects, or supporting operations inside an organization, clear thinking under pressure is what keeps things moving forward.
Every Problem Has a Next Step
This is something I believe deeply. Every problem has a solution. It may not be the one you hoped for. It may require a shift or a simplification. But there is always a next step.
Feeling stuck does not mean you stop. It usually means it is time to reassess and take action based on what is real.
Progress is rarely dramatic. Most of the time it looks like steady decisions made in the middle of uncertainty.
When It Feels Hard, It Is Still Go Time
This week did not look like rest. It did not look like celebration. It looked like leadership.
Leadership is staying grounded when plans fall apart. It is making decisions without perfect information. It is choosing action over panic.
If you are feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or disappointed right now, you are not broken and you are not behind.
You are in the middle of solving something.
And that means it is still go time, even if go time looks quiet, focused, and steady.
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