If It Was Easy, Someone Else Would Have Done It
Complexity And Challenges Are Just Part Of The Job
Life and leadership are rarely straightforward. When we lack experience in leadership, we might believe that being a leader is about making obvious, easy decisions. We might think that once we step into a leadership role, we can effortlessly fix everything that was previously mishandled. However, this is not the reality. Trust me.
Observers of the presidency have noted that only the most complex and difficult problems reach the Oval Office. Secretary of State Dean Acheson once commented on the presidency, saying, "At the top, there are no easy choices. All are between evils, the consequences of which are hard to judge." This means that the simpler, easier decisions are handled by others, freeing up the president's time for the most challenging issues.
Most organizations operate on the same principle, where leaders face difficult, intractable situations rather than easy wins. For instance, a restaurant owner might have to decide whether to lay off staff, cut pay, or completely revamp their operation during a pandemic when foot traffic has come to a halt. Similarly, a small business owner may have to weigh their loyalty to a long-time supplier against the potential for increased profitability by switching to a competitor. A founder might need to decide whether to sell their app when a bidding war is sparked by rapid user base growth.
Historical leaders faced similar challenges. Marcus Aurelius dealt with wars, invasions, border crises, a bankrupt treasury, a plague, and religious strife, all of which demanded impossible choices.
Consider Seneca, who was tasked with tutoring Nero, a job no one else wanted. As Nero grew older and more difficult to manage, Seneca faced the "dilemma of exit, voice, and loyalty" daily. This concept, described by scholar Albert O. Hirschman, refers to the choice one faces when part of an organization that has gone wrong: do they quit in protest, try to solve the problem from within, or remain loyal and hope for the best? Seneca must have considered quitting many times as Nero became more unstable, but he likely feared that someone worse might take his place.
In leadership, as in life, we often have to choose the lesser of two evils and make the best of difficult situations. We must be pragmatic and realistic, acknowledging that we live in a world where hard decisions are the norm and easy problems are handled by others. Leadership is a constant struggle in this world, as Marcus Aurelius noted.
Effective decision-making is crucial for effective leadership, especially under conditions of stress, time pressure, and incomplete information (and rest assured there is always incomplete information). Leaders are tested in brief, pivotal moments of decision, such as whether to pursue a retreating enemy or hold back in anticipation of an ambush, or whether to stake the company on a new product launch or hold back.
Dean Acheson remembered observing General George Marshall presiding over lengthy staff meetings where various viewpoints were debated at length, including questions of promotion, response to aggression, responsibility for crises, whether to go public or keep news private, and even lunch plans. Eventually, Marshall would cut through the discussion with the command, "Gentlemen, don't fight the problem! Decide it!" Acheson later wrote to President Truman that "your job is to decide," and that a leader must be able to make decisions with courage and clarity, without hesitation or wavering. If a decision proves to be wrong, a leader must be willing to decide again.
Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus were known to quote a fragment from Antisthenes that said, "Kingship: to earn a bad reputation by good deeds." This is an important reminder that doing the right thing may not be met with praise or understanding, and that making difficult but necessary choices may not be viewed favorably. However, Marcus believed that one should not let this discourage them from doing what is right. He wrote, "Do what is yours to do, let people say what they will. Let them twist your words to make a trap for fools. Let them question your motives. It doesn't matter. Just that you do the right thing. The rest doesn't matter."
True leadership is about navigating complexity, making tough choices, and persisting in the face of uncertainty and criticism. It’s about understanding that easy problems are handled by others, and your role as a leader is to tackle the hard ones. Embrace the challenges, make the difficult decisions, and always strive to do what is right, even when it’s not easy. Remember, if it was easy, someone else would have done it. Your value as a leader lies in your ability to handle what others cannot, with courage, clarity, and integrity.