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going to be particularly unappealing. In one option you step aside and acknowledge the end of a chapter in your journey. The other option is making the decision to remove the usurper from the organization. In either situation there will be fallout, but that is simply the reality of the situation. What you must work to do quickly is gather those loyal to your leadership and begin the process of healing and creating a new vision for the future. Unfortunately, there won’t immediately be a time for mourning. If you spend too much time wallowing, you may well end up losing the rest of those who have chosen to stay with you. A brave face in the midst of turmoil will provide the confidence everyone desperately needs to quiet their anxiety and allow them to focus on the work ahead. Take five minutes and consider, is there a challenge to your leadership that you have been ignoring? Do you need to engage in a battle to bring clarity at the leadership position in your organization? I’ve been both the usurper and the rightful leader along my journey. I have had to deal with challenges to my leadership. Some I let linger too long and other times I have acted decisively. The true leader will have the wisdom to recognize the potential issues before they become a problem that leads to schism and disaster. Don’t ignore your gut feelings and don’t delay acting when necessary. Brandon Pinkerton, PE is the founder and CEO of HP Engineering. Contact him at bpinkerton@hpengineeringinc.com.
BRANDON PINKERTON , from page 3
when hurt feelings spill over into sidebar conversations, deals are being cut behind closed doors, and after- hours support rallies begin to occur, then you know you have a problem brewing. This highlights the extreme need for leaders to work hard to repair hurt feelings and continue relationship maintenance in the wake of intense confrontational moments. The more of these you let pass without addressing them, the further apart you will drift in spirit. Whatever the case may be, once you have identified a real problem, it’s time to focus on getting ready for battle. ■ Trying to work things out with your enemy is your best option. You’ll need to go off-site and get to a place where you can both be brutally honest and not worry about the ears of the organization hearing your shouts of frustration and moments of anger. Oftentimes the usurper has developed some unresolved anger toward you as the leader. It could have grown from past injuries, or it could simply be that they are chafing under the lid of your leadership. They feel like you are holding them back and they don’t understand why. It’s completely reasonable that this may be the first time you’ve heard these complaints, so have a humble heart and be prepared to acknowledge where you have made mistakes. ■ Try to establish the leadership arrangement you can both work with going forward. If you can get in alignment on a path forward, great. However, if you hit an impasse, there may be no other outcome but a split. Once you come to this realization, the predicating moments are
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THE ZWEIG LETTER APRIL 28, 2025, ISSUE 1583
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