Some difficult conversations get harder every day you duck them.
Last fall in Colorado, I learned why from an unlikely teacher.
While visiting my daughter, I heard about the different ways cattle and bison respond to winter storms.
Two animals, two instincts
Cattle are less adapted to extreme cold. When a storm approaches, they are more likely to turn away from it — seeking protection, or drifting along with the wind.
Bison often do something different. They turn toward the oncoming storm, lower their heads, and endure what is coming.
And isn't that just like leadership?
The conversation travels with you
When we avoid a difficult conversation, the problem rarely stays behind us. It travels with us. The missed deadlines continue. Resentment grows. Trust erodes. The conversation becomes harder, not easier.
We may believe we are postponing ten uncomfortable minutes. Instead, we can spend weeks or months living inside the storm.
What turning toward it looks like
Facing the conversation does not mean charging in recklessly. It means turning toward what needs your attention with courage, preparation and care.
- Name the issue.
- Tell the truth.
- Listen deeply.
- Work together on what needs to happen next.
The conversation may still be uncomfortable.
But discomfort is not always a signal to retreat. Sometimes it is simply the weather we must move through to reach something better.
So when the next storm gathers in your work life, ask yourself: am I turning away from the conversation, or turning toward it?
Maybe it is time to channel your inner bison.
