This Should Be Working. It’s Not. Now What?

I’ve been sitting here for a while now, trying to write this essay.Not procrastinating. Not distracted. Just…stuck.I have plenty of other things to do today, and every time I look at the clock it seems to have changed time zones.I’ve jotted half-thoughts, re-read old notes, written half an essay 3 times....but nothing is quite clicking.And then I thought, maybe this experience is what I need to write about.Some days I’m inspired and the words just flow. Other days I wonder if perhaps English isn’t my native language after all.So perhaps the point of this essay is that we all encounter moments when we try and try, but nothing seems to work the way we hope. For me, at this moment, that’s a writing project that won’t cooperate. For you, it might mean a project that feels cursed or someone on your team to whom you can’t seem to get through.Here’s my reminder to both of us: this is normal.I don’t know how to write the essays I was trying to write (yet), but I know how to write this one. Sometimes a this-just-isn’t-working experience is telling you to call an audible, to take another path.If pushing forward isn’t working, pull back. Change your method. Change your setting. Talk it out (call me?). Move your body. Take your hands off the wheel for a bit and trust that your brain is still working the problem in the background.Leadership isn’t about having every answer, for every problem, on demand. It’s about learning to navigate uncertainty with grace and creativity—and sometimes, just enough stubbornness to keep going.That’s what I’m doing now.  Still stuck. Still writing anyway.  And maybe that’s the point.OPPORTUNITY FOR ACTION: If something isn’t working, try something new. If that doesn’t work, try something weird. This is a game of adaptation. Think like a scientist arriving at the correct answer by eliminating the wrong ones.My free PDF, “100 Questions for Better 1-1 Meetings,” will help you upgrade the 1-1 conversations with your people so you can easily unearth their hidden potential and uncover valuable insights about your organization. Grab it today!