A while back, one of our Acumen councils hosted a special guest, the CEO of a $12 billion global company. The conversation was wide-ranging and very interesting—a global company has a perspective on world politics and the economy that local and even national businesses don't! (This particular leader was bullish on the economy, by the way.)

We touched on everything from leadership to communication to the pace of business in today’s world, and I came away feeling a conviction that leadership is leadership wherever you are. Whether you're running a $12 billion global company or a $5 million local one, the crap you deal with is the same crap we all deal with. 

But one particular line he said stuck with me, and I haven’t been able to shake it since:

“The firehose is always on. Your job is to find ways to minimize it spraying in your face, and maximize the execution.”

The guest speaker went on to share how he wasted far too many years by telling himself, "If I just get over this particular hump, then I'll have the time and space to do x, y, or z." But that time and space never came. Because no matter how big your organization or how seasoned your leadership, the firehose never really turns off. The volume of demands, the swirl of decisions, the endless stream of opportunities and obstacles—it just keeps coming.

Eventually, he stopped waiting for calm to arrive and started leading differently. He accepted that the firehose is part of the job, and that great leadership is about learning how to direct it. How to keep your eyes on the main thing, and how to delegate to the right people with the appropriate amount of urgency to keep things moving forward while everyone fights the everyday whirlwind.

That feels right, doesn't it?

So, it’s time for you to admit and accept it too:

THE FIREHOSE IS ALWAYS ON.

It’s okay. That’s normal.

AND you need to make sure you're asking yourself:

• Are you clear on what the main thing is?
• What is most important now and for the future?

When you’re clear on those answers, you can delegate with confidence, align your team around purpose, and lead with peace in the middle of pressure.

Because the firehose won’t stop. But your posture toward it can change.

So take a breath and accept the constant flow!