This summer in Fresno, the thermometer hit triple digits, as-per-uge. And just as the heat rolled in, our AC had one last cooldown before biting the dust.
It had served faithfully for 30 years.
We knew this day would come, and we were determined to make great use of it until we had no other options but to replace it.
If you’ve ever tried to live in Fresno in July without AC, you know—it’s not just uncomfortable, it’s survival mode. Thank God we have a pool!
So, we did what anyone would do. We called the professionals, made fast decisions, and within a week (and a pretty penny later), cool air was flowing again.
🔥 Crisis Over 🥶
But here’s the leadership takeaway:
Systems don’t fail all at once—they just stop working all at once.
Yep, you read that right. But it might take a few re-reads to understand the principle.
Most leaders don’t wake up overwhelmed because of one big problem.
It’s death by a thousand small delays.
A pile of open loops.
A slow drift into disorder.
The inbox that hasn’t been triaged.
The calendar that’s become a puzzle.
The follow-up that fell through the cracks.
The projects that stay half-started.
These aren’t emergencies—until they are.
We knew our AC wasn’t going to last too much longer and it was our cognitive choice to wait until it died, instead of preemptively replacing it. The only problem was, a week without air in the summer is a nasty problem to have.
As a leader, in your business and/or ministry, I recommend taking a different approach. Be a little more proactive and a little more preemptive than we were with our AC.
And here’s what I recommend to any leader who wants to avoid a sudden crisis in your work:
Start before the system fails.
- Bring on the support before you’re buried in busy.
- Create structure before your time vanishes.
- Delegate before you’re drowning.
The best leaders don’t just respond well to fires—
They reduce the likelihood of ever needing to fight them.
If you’re feeling the pressure rise, or if your leadership system is already overheating…
We’d love to help.
Micah Foster, Co-Owner
Micah Foster is a partner at Dream Support LLC who has been providing remote executive assistants to busy leaders who need administrative and organizational help for over five years.
He has a passion for creating and maintaining positive and productive work environments and empowering people to reach their full potential.