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Key Takeaways Before telling a team what to do, leaders have to understand the environment themselves.
Leaders often overlook the broader context surrounding their plan — and how that context ultimately shapes the outcome.
During the early months of COVID, I was leading a retail product business that suddenly found itself in the same position as thousands of others. Stores were closed, yet lease payments kept coming, and revenue had effectively gone to zero.
Like most companies, we pushed aggressively into ecommerce. It was the right move, but while everyone was talking about the shift to digital, I kept coming back to a different thought.
With prices dramatically down, it was the best time in the world to sign retail leases and the need for human interaction would certainly come after the crisis.
When we stepped back and looked at the broader context of the market, it became clear that there was an opportunity in front of us. So we did something that seemed counterintuitive at the time. We signed leases.
Those deals became some of the most valuable locations the company would secure for years to come. The business outcome wasn’t luck. It was context.
Most leadership frameworks focus on role clarity and goal setting. Leaders are encouraged to define responsibilities, establish metrics, and align teams around outcomes. These practices matter, as they bring structure and accountability to an organization.
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