This Could Be Your Moment

Sometimes the best leadership lessons come from days that don't go according to plan.

Originally written by John Condry

Some of the most valuable leadership lessons I've learned came from watching other people work.

One of those lessons happened in 1998 while I was working with the Sandler Sales Institute. At the time, I had the privilege of working directly with its founder, David H. Sandler.

We were developing new training programs for our network of trainers, and one request kept coming up: create a follow-up to the popular No More Cold Calls program.

Before the event, I asked David if he wanted to go over an outline.

He smiled and said, "No, I've got it."

The seminar began at nine o'clock.

By early afternoon, I found myself getting a little anxious.

The program was excellent. David was coaching people through real situations, role-playing conversations, answering questions, and helping people work through challenges they had brought into the room. The audience was completely engaged.

There was just one problem.

We hadn't talked about cold calling.

Not once.

When the day ended, people were thanking him for one insight after another, but as we packed up the equipment, I couldn't help thinking we hadn't accomplished what we had set out to do.

Later I mentioned it to David.

His response surprised me.

"I know," he said. "This was better."

He pointed out something I had completely missed.

Throughout the day, people kept saying, "That idea alone was worth being here."

The audience wasn't focused on the title of the seminar. They were responding to the conversations that were happening in the room.

Instead of trying to force the original plan, David simply accepted what had happened.

The program became This Could Be Your Moment.

That experience has stayed with me for years because it reminds me how often leadership asks us to adjust.

No matter what part of a textile rental organization we lead—production, sales, service, customer care, or executive leadership—we all begin the day with a plan.

Then something changes.

A customer has an unexpected issue.

A production line goes down.

A key employee calls in sick.

A route falls behind.

A prospect asks a question we weren't expecting.

Those moments can feel like interruptions.

Sometimes they're actually opportunities.

I've carried David's lesson with me ever since, and I've found myself remembering it many times while working alongside leaders in the textile rental industry.

On one occasion, I was riding with one of the industry's top sales consultants. He was experienced, well respected, and had put together what most people would have called a very successful day. By about three o'clock, we had completed every appointment on his schedule. We'd solved customer issues, made progress with prospects, and accomplished everything we had planned to do.

He looked at me and said, "You've got a long drive ahead of you. We've had a good day. I think we're done."

I smiled and reminded him of one of my own rules when I'm in the field. If we're scheduled to work until five, we work until five.

He laughed and said, "I really don't have anyone else to call on."

So instead of heading home, I asked a different question.

"Where have you been having the most success lately?"

He mentioned an area where they had recently installed several new accounts.

"Perfect," I said. "Let's go introduce ourselves."

There wasn't a grand strategy. No appointments. No guarantees. Just two hours we hadn't planned on using.

We began stopping at businesses nearby, introducing ourselves, and mentioning that we had recently started servicing another company down the street.

Late that afternoon, we walked into a restaurant.

The manager looked at the salesperson and said, "I'm glad you stopped in."

He reached into his desk, pulled out one of the salesperson's business cards, and said, "I've been meaning to call you. We're in trouble."

They had a service issue that needed immediate attention. Right there, the salesperson began putting together a temporary solution to help them through the situation. Later that week, he returned and earned the business.

A few weeks later, he called me.

"I've been thinking about that afternoon," he said. "I'm really glad we stayed until five."

It reminded me of what David Sandler had taught me years earlier.

Sometimes the opportunity isn't hidden in the plan.

It's hidden in what happens after the plan changes.

Mike Tyson once said, "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth."

There's some truth in that.

The question isn't whether our plans will change.

The question is how we'll respond when they do.

Will we become frustrated because things didn't unfold the way we expected?

Or will we slow down, assess the situation, and look for the opportunity inside it?

I've noticed that the leaders people enjoy following aren't necessarily the ones who always have the perfect plan.

They're the ones who remain steady when the plan changes.

Their calm gives everyone else confidence.

Their flexibility keeps the organization moving forward.

Their willingness to adjust often creates better outcomes than the original plan ever would have.

The older I get, the more I appreciate that leadership isn't about controlling every situation.

It's about helping people move forward from whatever situation they're in.

Sometimes that means sticking with the agenda.

Sometimes it means setting the agenda aside because something more important has presented itself.

The challenge is having the wisdom to know the difference.

This week, something probably won't go according to plan.

When it happens, instead of immediately trying to get back to the original agenda, take a moment and ask yourself:

Could this be my moment?

It just might be.