Crisis, Culture, and Character: What It Takes to Lead in Uncertain Times

"You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him." – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Leadership doesn't reward with basking in the highs—it demands navigating the lows. My client, Leslie's conversation with me laid bare the brutal realities of leadership: when trust is broken, when integrity is compromised, and when difficult decisions must be made.

It’s the unglamorous side of leadership, the part that doesn’t make the highlight reels but defines who you are as a leader.

Photo Courtesy of Renwick Brutus Media

The Burden of Leadership: When Doing the Right Thing Feels Wrong

"It is not the critic who counts. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena." – Theodore Roosevelt

Leslie had one of the toughest falls of his career. After a period of growth and success, he faced back-to-back terminations of employees who had violated core values. One of them had been by his side for over a decade, a person he had mentored and supported. Letting him go was a massive business decision. But it was also personal.

"I feel like I took that pretty hard. I was their leader, and I failed them."

This is the paradox of leadership: you can do everything right, set people up for success, and still watch them fall short. It’s a painful reminder that leaders can provide opportunities, but they can’t force accountability.

It echoes a lesson from Jim Collins’ Good to Great:"Great vision without great people is irrelevant."

Leslie had given this employee years of opportunity, but he had refused to step up. And something needed to be done. At some point, leaders like Leslie must stop making excuses for those unwilling to take responsibility.

The Cost of Integrity: When the Hard Choice Is the Only Choice

"You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain." – The Dark Knight

One of the most painful moments for Leslie came when he discovered that another one of his employees had falsified data on a project, leading him to make decisions based on incorrect information. He had given this employee multiple chances to come clean, even warning him that honesty was more important than the mistake itself.

The response? Lies upon lies.

It wreaked of incompetence—and a violation of trust. And when trust is broken in leadership, the consequences ripple through the entire organization."We give people opportunities to make it right. And the fact that he doubled down on it—I couldn't fight for him anymore."

This moment was about firing an employee to uphold a culture of accountability. As Simon Sinek puts it:

"A team is not a group of people that work together. A team is a group of people that trust each other."

Leslie realized that allowing one person to compromise the company’s integrity would set a dangerous precedent. Leadership transcends being liked—it requires being respected.

Accountability Is a Two-Way Street: Owning Leadership Mistakes

"Hard times don’t create heroes. It is during the hard times when the 'hero' within us is revealed." – Bob Riley

As much as Leslie was frustrated by his employees’ failures, he also turned inward.

• Had he waited too long to set firm expectations?

• Had he been too patient with those unwilling to change?

• Had he assumed people would hold themselves accountable, rather than ensuring they did?

"Hindsight is 20/20... A part of me wishes I would have pushed harder."

I seized on his comment to point out a crucial leadership misstep: when leaders don’t set clear deadlines, people meander. It’s not enough for them to say, "We need to work on this." Leaders must ask:

• By when?

• What steps will you take?

• How will we measure progress?

This is what Stephen Covey emphasizes in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People:

"Accountability breeds response-ability."

Great leaders don’t hope their people will step up. They create structures and processes that ensure it happens.

Culture Is More Than Words—It’s What You Tolerate

"The strength of a team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team." – Phil Jackson

One of the most frustrating experiences for Leslie came when he attended a strategic planning meeting where everyone nodded in agreement about company goals—but no one actually committed to action. He raised a simple yet powerful question:

"How are we going to achieve this?"

The answer? Silence.

Leslie had just uncovered a major issue: leadership without alignment is chaos. His frustration boiled over when a colleague, who had previously agreed on a direction, suddenly backtracked when action was required.

This moment underscored a fundamental truth in leadership: culture isn’t what you say—it’s what you do.

• If you tolerate excuses, you breed mediocrity.

• If you tolerate dishonesty, you destroy trust.

• If you tolerate inaction, you stall progress.

As Peter Drucker famously said:

"Culture eats strategy for breakfast."

Leslie wasn’t simply dealing with underperforming employees; he was fighting to uphold a standard that many were too comfortable ignoring.

Leadership Is a Heavy Load, But It’s Worth It

"You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice." – Bob Marley

Despite the setbacks, Leslie emerged with clarity, conviction, and renewed purpose.

• He realized that true leadership means making the tough calls, even when they hurt.

• He recognized that success isn’t merely a matter of reaching financial and organizational goals—it values culture, accountability, and trust.

• He accepted that leaders do more than lead projects—they shape people.

The best leaders aren’t defined by their titles but by their tolerance for discomfort. And as painful as this season was, Leslie learned that sometimes, losing people is necessary to protect the culture you’re building.

Because at the end of the day? Integrity is non-negotiable.

Renwick Brutus' career has spanned roles as research economist, investment advisor, entrepreneur and consultant. He holds an MBA from Fordham University and has been recognized for his outstanding achievement in sales and business leadership. Today, Renwick applies his unique blend of business strategy and interpersonal skills to help individuals prosper and companies grow. He owns multiple companies and is in great demand to consult with business leaders. Contact him by email  and LinkedIn.