What High Stakes Taught Me About Leadership
- Mar 6
- 1 min read
By Joanna LaFleur
When things get intense, I rely on three things: the data I have, the experience I have earned, and my gut. Gut instinct is not some woo thing. It is your brain pulling from years of patterns you have already lived through. When you have been in enough high-stress situations, you learn to trust it.
Early in my career, I had to make decisions during staffing shortages, emergencies, and moments where families were scared and teams were exhausted. There was no time to ask everyone’s opinion.
I had to step up, decide, and lead. That taught me that staying calm is a skill. Panic spreads fast. So does confidence.
One thing that has saved me from expensive mistakes is knowing the difference between urgency and fear. Urgent does not mean sloppy. It means focused. Fear-based decisions blow things up. Clear decisions give people direction, even if you need to adjust later.
That mindset carried into entrepreneurship. You cannot grow a business if you freeze every time a decision feels heavy. You have to make the call, hire, fire, pivot, and move forward. Leadership means taking responsibility, not waiting for permission.
Today, I still lead the same way. I do what is best for the business and the people it serves, even when it is uncomfortable. I stay grounded, I stay clear, and I trust myself.
Leadership is not about being perfect. It is about making the best call you can when it matters and standing behind it.
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