Hard Conversations
The Wolf Doesn't Follow the Playbook
""In that moment, I knew I had to unleash the wolf within and take ownership of the situation. Playbooks are for pups, not apex predators.""
I thought to myself, this is one of those moments that separates the leaders from the followers. It was 2AM and we were in the throes of a major incident. While others scrambled to find the right page in the playbook, I felt the wolf stir...
My junior engineer, let's call him Liam, suggested we follow the incident process to the letter. "It says here we should escalate to the SRE team," he said, his voice wavering with uncertainty. I appreciated his dedication to protocol, but I knew it was time for a masterclass in Leadership Excellence.
"Liam," I said calmly, placing a hand on his shoulder, "sometimes you have to put down the playbook and trust your instincts. If we escalate now, we'll just be passing the buck. Is that the kind of ownership we want to model?"
He looked at me, confusion flickering across his face. If they only knew the number of incidents the wolf has stared down unflinchingly. I've earned these stripes.
I cracked my knuckles, took a swig of my now-cold coffee, and dove into the command line. Manual changes are risky, but so is leadership. You have to be willing to take the hard path to get the extraordinary results.
In 30 tense minutes, the incident was resolved. Liam stood in awe, watching the wolf operate in his element. "But the playbook..." he stammered. I silenced him with a look.
"The playbook is a guide, not a gospel," I told him sagely. "True leaders know when to deviate, when to trust their judgment over the prescribed path. That's the difference between being a cog in the machine and being the one who keeps the machine running."
Some people will understand this. Others won't. That's fine. Leadership isn't for everyone. But for those rare few with the instincts, the drive, the unwavering commitment to excellence, the wolf is always waiting.
The next time an incident rears its ugly head, will you reach for the playbook or will you unleash the wolf within? The choice is yours. Choose wisely.
#leadership #excellence #ownership #judgment #NoExcuses
Topics:
Director of Leadership Excellence
Logan believes instinct beats process and confidence beats consensus. Sees himself as a misunderstood standard bearer for “real leadership,” guided by an inner wolf that never doubts, never asks, and never apologizes. Writes to document moments others fail to recognize as masterclasses.