The Unexpected Leader

14The Leadership Traps

Think about the last time you were sick.

Maybe you had a cold or maybe a serious bout of the flu. Maybe you broke a bone or had to have your tonsils removed or perhaps you even had to have a more serious procedure that involved anesthesia or a stay in the hospital. Whatever it was, I do hope that you've fully healed.

While I know that I'm asking you to reflect back on a not-so pleasant experience, I want you to remember how that experience felt and how often, when you are in this abyss of sickness and being unwell, it's sort of hard to remember what it's like to feel “normal.”

Unfortunately in 2021, I had a bout of COVID-19. Although I can fully breathe now and I no longer have a persistent headache and my energy is at high levels, I distinctly remember how challenging it was even just to take a deep breath.

It was truly miserable.

And, as I was quarantining for two weeks, it was really hard to even remember what feeling healthy was like.

Has that ever happened to you? Where you're so deep in the sickly hole that you can't see yourself out or even know what it feels like not to be sick? While most of us don't want to be sick and try to avoid it, it happens and we have to find our way out of it and work hard to regain our energy, our sanity, and our normalcy.

But there are other deep holes we find ourselves in that we have to get out of as well. Do any of these resonate with you?

1. You found yourself in a romantic relationship or friendship that you know ...