You’ve Been Training for This

For the last few weeks, I’ve been having a similar conversation with leaders—the same conversation I’m having with myself.

We’re forgetting what we’ve already been through.

Why We Can’t See What We Know

Here’s what’s happening: When we’re stressed, cortisol floods our system. And cortisol does something specific: it narrows our field of vision.

That’s helpful when you need to focus on an immediate threat. But it also cuts you off from seeing the bigger picture. From remembering your broader experience. From recognizing the resources you’ve already built.

So we forget. We forget what we’ve survived. We forget what we’ve learned. We forget that we’ve actually done hard things before.

What I’ve Been Forgetting

These are challenging times. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed.

But a few weeks ago, I realized something: I’ve led through many “unprecedented times.”

The dot-com bust. The aftermath of 9/11. The financial recession around the 2008 housing crisis. The COVID lockdowns and lingering pandemic.

That’s not even counting personal challenges. Raising and launching kids. Navigating sick and dying parents.

Realizing this helped remind me: I have experience to draw on. I have proven resilience. When I actually looked back, I saw: I’ve raised money through these times. I’ve kept generating sales when others said no one was buying. I’ve coached leaders to growth in times like these.

You’ve Done This Before

Others I’ve talked to are having similar realizations.

A leader who just got promoted is overwhelmed about managing former peers—people who are older than she is. Then she remembers: her teammates have been coming to her for advice for years. She’s been mentoring and guiding people all along. She just didn’t call it leadership.

A founder ten years into building his company feels like a bottleneck. His team constantly needs him to make decisions. Then he realizes: in the early days, he had to let go and trust others just to survive. He’s delegated before—he just needs to do it again, at scale.

A seasoned executive is wondering what legacy she’ll leave. Who will carry the work forward? Then she remembers: she’s navigated major transitions before. She’s developed leaders who went on to do remarkable things. She knows how to build sustainable culture.

Too often, we discount ourselves. We discredit what we’ve grown through. We sell ourselves short.

Look Back to Move Forward

So take a few minutes today to follow up with your past.

Remind yourself of the challenges and crises you’ve been through. The accomplishments and achievements you’ve earned.

Realize that you’ve actually been in training. Training that most likely prepares you in strategic ways to face today’s challenges.

You’ve got this.