“It’s going to be a bumpy ride.”
Before the plane even took off, this is what the pilot announced.
“Folks, we’ve checked the flight plan, and there will be turbulence. So please keep your seatbelts fastened throughout the flight. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.”
And it was.
But here’s what struck me: When the turbulence came, I wasn’t worried.
I expected it.
The bumps didn’t make me wonder — Is something wrong? Is this going to get worse? Should I be concerned?
It made me think about CEOs leading organizations through significant change.
Most of the time, leaders know there will be turbulence ahead.
➤ A difficult transformation.
➤ A challenging quarter.
➤ A major restructuring.
➤ A new strategy that will take time to get right.
➤ Decisions that may create uncertainty or discomfort.
The instinct can be to announce and reassure, “Everything will be fine.”
But I think the more powerful leadership move is to get out ahead of the turbulence by telling people:
“This next stretch may be difficult.”
“Here’s what we expect.”
“Here’s what we don’t know yet.”
“Here’s what we’re doing to navigate it.”
“And here’s what I need from you right now.”
Because when people expect a perfectly smooth ride, every bump can feel like a crisis.
But when they know turbulence is coming, a bump is just… a bump.
💡 Great leaders don’t promise smooth skies. They help people understand the flight plan.
How do YOU prepare others for turbulence without creating unnecessary alarm?
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