When Everything Feels Unstable Again: A Letter to the Leaders Who Carry It All

“Everything just got shaky again…”
She tells me, a manager on the other end of the line.

Just when she felt on top of things,
Another urgent project was dropped on her desk —
And suddenly, everything feels uncertain once more.

I can see it in her eyes —
The same doubts that visited her a few months ago.
That quiet question: Maybe leadership is too much for me?

But she is in a better place now.
She knows she’ll manage.
And yet...
Her smile fades.
Her contagious energy evaporates.
Her presence begins to shrink.

I see this often —
Especially with the strongest, most capable leaders.
They’re the ones who get the “privilege”
Of handling the most complex, challenging assignments.

They’re trusted.
People know they’ll rise to the occasion —
No matter what is thrown at them.
(Yes, it’s not entirely fair… c’est la vie.)

In moments like these,
I always remind leaders:
This is a vote of confidence.
In who you are.
In your capacity.
In the value you bring.

(And yes, I know that’s not always comforting in the moment...)

At the same time,
I gently try to dissolve the illusion
That one day, things will finally become stable.

Because truthfully —
There’s no such thing as lasting stability.
Reality is not stable, and it never will be.
Challenges shift.
Teams evolve.
You change.

Change is the only constant.
Which means:
True stability comes from within.

So I remind her —
Of her strengths.
Of her inner power.
Of the way she’s already overcome so much.

We return to basics:
A fresh SWOT with the leadership team.
We map the workload.
We break it down.
We align the tasks with each person’s strengths.

When there's a clear plan
And everyone knows their role,
Something powerful happens:
Confidence returns.
The sense of control reappears.
The ground feels more solid.

💼 Dear Leader,
When someone “dumps” a new project on you,
It’s the perfect moment to check what's already in your personal toolkit.

Your emotional strength.
The experience you’ve gathered.
The team that stands beside you.

Your bag is not empty.
It’s full.
You just need to repack it for the current challenge.

Breathe.
Smile.
You've got this.