A Compass for Navigating Change.

When I was young, I loved the Choose Your Own Adventure book series. Each book presented readers with a unique set of pathways that, based on their choices, would determine the main character's actions and the plot's outcome.

It was brilliant, really. If you didn't like the ending you chose, you could simply head back to page one and take a different path. You could start all over again.

In leadership—as in life—we often find ourselves at these page-turning moments. The only difference is that there's no option to go back to the beginning. But we can use a compass to navigate forward.

As you read this, you might be choosing between one strategic priority or another. You might be choosing between when to lean into your core values and when to go along with the crowd. Perhaps as you're reading this, you're choosing between your current role and saying goodbye.

Making difficult decisions like these, especially under increased pressure, can feel unsettling—like you've lost your footing as a leader. And with that loss often comes doubt. With doubt, a desire to simply stay put.

Here, my friend, is where we can choose to pause, name what we're feeling, check in with our values, and consider whether we're ready to move forward with conviction. While we can't go back to page one, we can always look ahead to the next chapter.

If you're at a fork-in-the-road moment, here are three practical ways you can navigate hard decisions while staying true to your values:

1. It's OK to name the loss. Leadership often requires letting go of ideas, relationships, roles, or paths we once held tightly. But so much of our discomfort in decision-making comes from not naming what we're really feeling. Take a moment to ask: What am I afraid of losing here? It could be your identity in a certain role, the comfort of what's known, or the certainty of a previous plan. Naming the loss gives it less power and makes moving forward seem more plausible.

2. Reframe choice as a gift. When everything feels uncertain, choice can feel like a burden. But reframing it as a gift—even when the options aren't all ideal—can be freeing. One of the tools I developed in the early days of the pandemic was a Values-Based Decision Matrix, which invites decision makers to assess options through a lens of impact and risk. It encourages you to ask:

• Which choices have the highest potential to advance your purpose?
• Which choices carry the greatest risk—and which risks are worth taking?
• And then, where is the overlap between meaningful impact and manageable risk?

When we learn to shift our lens from "What could go wrong?" to "What choice aligns most with who we are and what we stand for?" the way forward becomes more than plausible- it becomes possible.

3. And then, move forward. Every choice carries a goodbye. It can also carry a hello. So, pause long enough to take stock of what you've learned and what you'll carry forward. And then, recognize that while what's ahead can feel unknown, it can also be better, more fulfilling, and more aligned with your mission and values.

Sometimes, the toughest decisions—especially the ones that require us to let go—lead us to exactly where we're meant to be.  

Bottom line: Leading through sustained change and uncertainty is complicated, but not impossible. If you're standing at a crossroads, remember what you're standing on. Let your values be your compass so that you can move through this period of change with clarity, compassion, and courage. Your next big decision may be the start of your best chapter.

 PS—If you like this post, I hope you'll share it!  Plus, today's post previews our upcoming 11th season of the Mission Forward podcast, where we'll learn more about how to say hello, how to say goodbye and how to navigate the space between. If you're not already subscribed, make sure to do so today.