Have you ever been in this situation? You go out on a run (or jog or walk for you non-runners out there) and you feel on top of your game. You’re breathing the fresh air, all the ills of the day are distant memories and you’re certain nothing could get to you. Nothing, that is, until a Hurricane name-worthy headwind (OK … I may be exaggerating a bit) pummels you right in the face.

That happened to me the other day. Hurricane Ahab (again, exaggerating just a tad) decided to wage a war on what was otherwise a great run. Thankfully, Mother Nature decided to hurl this challenge my way on the front-end of my run. But, still, it was just amazing to me how much of an impact that wind had on my performance – not to mention, my outlook for that run.

Leadership can be a lot like that run. Everything is sunny and Bam! A cloud suddenly hangs over our head and it looks like it’s going to rain. Like the weather with its extremes – gale-force winds, sweat-dripping heat and humidity, and slick ice – there are so many variables within leadership.

That’s because it’s a team and not an individual sport.

A human endeavor.

There are a variety of different personalities and, though you know yourself well enough to anticipate how you’ll react in a given situation, the same can’t be said for other people.

Perhaps, the only certainty with people or atmospheric conditions is uncertainty.

And, it seems, that just when things are going along swimmingly, the unexpected actions or responses of an individual under your charge strike down and threaten even the most straightforward of plans. A course of action you thought was a molehill now rivals Everest.

You always have to be prepared for the unexpected.

Perhaps, it’s when you encounter a so-called easy task that you need to be most vigilant, as you don’t want to let your guard down. In other words, don’t get too comfortable with the black or white, because the people component of your role means you consistently work in the “gray.”

When you’re aware of the human variables that can so quickly transform the most simple of tasks into another obstacle to be hurdled, you’ll have the fitness and muscle to weather the latest storm.

Just enjoy the wind at your back after you turn the corner and the situation is resolved … but not for too long …

How about you? Have you experienced the unexpected in leadership? What was the impact?