It’s Supposed To Be Hard. Do It Anyway.

Last week I spent (what felt like) 45 minutes on hold with a well known internet provider.

Not even a full conversation.

Just a loop of Becky Hill, Sonny Fodera: “Never Be Alone” and the occasional robotic reminder that “your call is important to us”.

By the time someone answered, I had no memory of why I called. But I stayed on the line.

Because some things are hard. And you do them anyway.

You’re here because you manage people.

You’re expected to lead.

You’re expected to make decisions.

Some are routine. Others are hard. Too hard, maybe.

Here’s the truth:

If it doesn’t make you uncomfortable, it’s not leadership. It’s administration.

You get stuck between what’s right and what’s easy.

Between staying popular and staying professional.

You’ve probably faced these:

• Letting go of someone good but no longer right
• Saying no when the team wants a yes
• Admitting you were wrong in front of your peers
• Telling your boss the truth no one else dares to

Hard decisions aren’t rare.

They’re just rarely spoken about.

Let me give you an example.

The Royal Mail changed its operations model in 2022. It cost them £295 million in transformation charges.

There were strikes.

Backlash.

Sleepless nights.

But it had to be done.

They could have stalled. Delayed. Tried to be liked.

Instead, they chose hard.

They did it anyway.

Now ask yourself:

When was the last time you made a decision you knew would upset people?

Not out of ego.

Not for control.

But because it was the right thing?

When was the last time you asked your team to do something uncomfortable, and stood beside them while they did it?

When did you last change your mind, and say so out loud?

Here’s what most people don’t say:

Doing the hard thing doesn’t get easier.

You just stop waiting for it to.

You stop needing a full deck of data.

You stop waiting for approval.

You stop needing a guarantee.

You just do it.

If you manage others, you’re already in the decision business.

Every day is a vote on your values.

Every meeting, a test of your clarity.

But clarity comes from knowing what you stand for.

Confidence comes from doing hard things on purpose.

Not perfectly. On purpose.

So here’s a practice. Try it today.

Think of one decision you’ve delayed.

Write down why you’ve avoided it.

Do it anyway.

Don’t wait to feel ready.

Take responsibility for the outcome.

You’ll be surprised how much noise disappears once a decision is made.

Still uncomfortable? Good.

It means you care.

But caring alone won’t move your team forward. Doing will.

If you need somewhere to practise this stuff, without the risk, we’ve got you.

Our leadership and decision-making workshops are designed for people just like you. People who want to do it right, not just get it done.

Get in touch. Bring your real challenges.

Leave with confidence.

Hard is normal.

Waiting for easy is not a plan.

So is sitting on hold for 45 minutes. But I did it anyway…