When You Do What’s Difficult, Do It with Grace
How Honesty and Adaptability Transform Moments of Uncertainty Into Opportunities for Growth
When Preparation Meets the Unexpected
There’s a particular kind of disappointment that hits when you’re fully prepared and things still don’t go as planned.
I experienced that recently while filming a masterclass. I had practiced, refined, and prepared the content the same way I do for every training I deliver. This was material I know deeply—work I’ve taught countless times.
Then, on the day of filming, the application released a major new version.
Suddenly, muscle memory didn’t align. Workflows shifted. What I knew in my sleep changed in real time.
I stumbled.
The hardest part wasn’t the stumble itself.
It was deciding whether to pretend I hadn’t.
Choosing Honesty in the Moment
For a moment, I tried to push through it. But I knew better.
So I stopped. I acknowledged what had changed and chose honesty—in the moment, on camera.
That day didn’t feel victorious. It felt discouraging. I questioned whether my expertise had translated the way it should have. First impressions matter, and I left the set unsure whether mine reflected the professional standard I hold myself to.
Afterward, I addressed it directly with the client. I took responsibility, outlined a plan to strengthen the content, and offered additional training to ensure the final result met expectations.
What Happened Next Mattered
The client appreciated the honesty. We worked through the adjustments together. The masterclass was completed and ultimately published—with great reviews.
That experience brought this quote into sharp focus for me:
“When you do what’s difficult, there’s a grace that empowers you, a favor that enables you.”
Grace showed up not as perfection, but as clarity in a hard moment—the ability to pause, course-correct, and lead with integrity instead of ego.
Favor followed later. Not immediately, but meaningfully—in trust preserved and work completed the right way.
Here’s what I know now:
Expertise doesn’t mean conditions will always cooperate.
Leadership is revealed when they don’t.
When Adaptability Matters More Than Preparation
There will be moments when preparation isn’t the issue—adaptability is.
Moments when honesty feels riskier than performance.
When the choice is between protecting pride and protecting trust.
Choose trust.
How to Work Through the Negative Feelings
I am a natural teacher. When something doesn’t go as planned, my instinct isn’t to retreat—it’s to understand, correct, and share the lesson forward.
Here’s how I worked through the disappointment—and how you can too when self-doubt starts to surface:
- Pause before judging yourself.
- Strong emotions don’t mean you failed. They mean you care. Give yourself space before assigning meaning to the moment.
- Separate competence from conditions.
- A changing environment doesn’t erase your expertise. Don’t confuse unexpected variables with personal inadequacy.
- Tell the truth early.
- Honesty short-circuits anxiety. Owning the moment—without over-explaining—builds trust faster than performing through uncertainty.
- Extract the lesson, not the shame.
- Ask What needs to adjust? instead of What’s wrong with me? Growth comes from analysis, not self-punishment.
- Refocus on service.
- Shift your energy from self-evaluation to impact. When your focus returns to serving others well, confidence follows naturally.
Negative feelings don’t mean you’re off track. Often, they’re signals that you’re stretching into something meaningful.
Leadership Is Revealed in Hard Moments
Doing what’s difficult doesn’t always look polished in the moment. But it builds something stronger than a flawless performance—it builds credibility, resilience, and respect.
Leadership isn’t proven on perfect days.
It’s revealed on the hard ones.
And when you meet those moments with grace, you don’t just recover—you rise.
Hold your head up high.
