Leadership isn’t tested when the path is clear. It’s tested when the fog rolls in—when the stakes are high, the options are murky, and the pressure to please or perform threatens to pull you off course.
If you’re an executive, a mission-driven manager, or a growth-oriented professional, you’ve likely faced moments where the right decision wasn’t obvious and the cost of getting it wrong felt personal.
Maybe you’ve had to:
- Let go of a high-performing but toxic team member.
- Say no to a lucrative opportunity that didn’t align with your values.
- Speak up when silence would have been easier.
These are the moments that define us. And they’re also the moments that can unravel us—if we’re not anchored in something deeper than performance metrics or public approval.
In this post, we’ll explore how to lead through the fog without losing your soul. We’ll look at the internal battles leaders face, the character traits that sustain us, and the practices that help us make tough calls with clarity and courage.
The Inner Battle: Why Tough Calls Are So Hard
“All the significant battles are waged within self.”
— Sheldon Koop, quoted in Leadership Gold
When leaders face difficult decisions, the real struggle often isn’t external—it’s internal. We wrestle with fear, doubt, and the desire to be liked. We second-guess our instincts. We wonder if we’re being too rigid… or too soft.
John Maxwell shares a story from his early leadership years when a church vote left him feeling rejected. His father’s advice?
“You’d better stay. I know you well, and it’s the best vote you’ll ever get!”
That experience revealed a deeper issue: Maxwell realized he craved approval more than he realized—and that craving could derail his leadership if left unchecked.
“I can’t lead people if I need people.”
— John C. Maxwell, Leadership Gold
This isn’t about becoming aloof or arrogant.
It’s about recognizing that leadership requires courage—and courage often means disappointing people in the short term to serve them in the long term.
Three Marks of a Tough Call
Maxwell outlines three characteristics that signal you’re facing a defining leadership moment:
1. It Demands Risk
Tough decisions almost always involve stepping into the unknown. There’s no guarantee of success, and the outcomes are often unpredictable. But that’s exactly what makes them defining moments.
Playing it safe might protect your reputation in the short term, but it rarely advances your mission or your team’s growth.
Risk is the price of progress. Leaders who wait for perfect clarity before acting often miss the window of opportunity.
The fog doesn’t always lift before you move—it often lifts because you moved.
When you’re facing a hard decision, ask yourself: Am I hesitating because this is the wrong move—or because it’s simply uncomfortable?
If fear is the only thing holding you back, that’s a signal to lean in, not pull away.
2. It Triggers an Inward Battle
The hardest part of a tough call isn’t the logistics—it’s the emotional and mental wrestling match that happens inside.
You’ll feel the tension between what’s easy and what’s right. You’ll want to delay, hoping for more clarity. You’ll be tempted to rationalize a safer path.
This internal resistance is normal. In fact, it’s a sign that the decision matters.
But clarity doesn’t come from avoiding discomfort—it comes from engaging it.
Leaders who grow through these moments are the ones who are willing to sit with the tension, examine their motives, and move forward with integrity even when it’s hard.
This is where emotional maturity and self-leadership come into play. If you can’t lead yourself through the fog, you won’t be able to lead others through it either.
3. It Will Distinguish You as a Leader
Anyone can lead when the skies are clear and the wind is at their back. But when momentum stalls—or reverses—that’s when real leadership emerges. These are the moments that separate positional leaders from transformational ones.
Tough times are not interruptions to leadership—they are the proving ground of it. They reveal your character, your convictions, and your capacity to stay grounded when others are losing their footing.
When you make a courageous decision in the face of uncertainty, people notice. They may not agree with you in the moment, but they will remember your steadiness.
Over time, these moments build trust, credibility, and influence—the true currency of leadership.
The Soul of Leadership: Integrity Over Image
“Character is made in the small moments of our lives.”
— Phillips Brooks, quoted in Becoming a Person of Influence
When the fog sets in, your compass isn’t your charisma—it’s your character.
Integrity isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being consistent. It’s about aligning your actions with your values—even when no one’s watching.
“If I take care of my character, my reputation will take care of itself.”
— D.L. Moody
In The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth, Maxwell reminds us that character growth determines the height of our personal growth.
Without it, we’re climbing a ladder with no foundation.
How to Make Tough Calls Without Losing Your Soul
Here are five practices that can help you lead with clarity and conviction—even when the path ahead is unclear:
1. Clarify Your Core Values
Before the pressure hits, you need to know what you stand for.
In moments of crisis, you won’t have time to build a moral framework from scratch—you’ll fall back on whatever is already in place.
That’s why values-based leadership begins long before the tough call arrives.
Clarifying your core values is about “pre-deciding” who you are and what you will or won’t compromise.
It’s about identifying the non-negotiables that will guide your decisions when the fog rolls in. This clarity becomes your compass.
Ask yourself:
- What principles am I unwilling to compromise?
- What kind of leader do I want to be remembered as?
- What would I want someone I mentor to do in this situation?
When your values are clear, your decisions become clearer—even if they’re still difficult.
2. Reflect Before You React
In high-stakes situations, emotions can cloud judgment. The temptation is to act quickly—either to relieve the pressure or to appear decisive.
But wise leadership requires restraint. A moment of reflection can prevent a cascade of regret.
Creating space to think, pray, journal, or seek counsel allows you to step back from the emotional intensity and see the situation more clearly. It’s in the pause that perspective emerges.
The fog doesn’t always lift as quickly as we would like, and it often lifts with stillness.
This isn’t about indecision. It’s about intentionality.
Leaders who reflect before they react make decisions that are not only smarter—but more aligned with their long-term vision and values.
3. Seek Accountability Early
One of the most dangerous things a leader can do is isolate themselves in the decision-making process. When you’re under pressure, your perspective narrows.
You need people around you who can help you see what you might be missing.
Accountability isn’t just about correction—it’s about protection.
It protects your integrity, your relationships, and your mission.
The earlier you invite trusted voices into your process, the more likely you are to make a decision that’s both wise and sustainable.
Surround yourself with people who will tell you the truth—not just what you want to hear.
And don’t wait until you’re in trouble to ask for their input. Make accountability a rhythm, not a rescue plan.
4. Choose Integrity Over Expediency
When the pressure mounts, shortcuts will start to look appealing. You’ll be tempted to bend the truth, cut corners, or make a decision that feels easier in the moment but compromises your credibility in the long run.
Integrity is what keeps your leadership grounded.
It’s the quiet strength that builds trust over time. And it’s what allows you to sleep at night—even when the outcomes are uncertain.
Choosing integrity means doing the right thing even when it’s inconvenient, unpopular, or costly.
It means being the same person in private that you are in public. And it means remembering that your influence is only as strong as your character.
5. Lead Yourself First
The most difficult person you’ll ever lead is yourself.
That’s especially true when you’re navigating uncertainty. Your fears, insecurities, and blind spots will all surface—and if you’re not careful, they’ll drive your decisions.
Self-leadership is the foundation of all other leadership.
It means cultivating self-awareness, practicing humility, and staying grounded in your purpose. It means managing your emotions, owning your mistakes, and modeling the kind of behavior you want to see in others.
Before you can lead your team through the fog, you have to lead yourself through it.
That’s not a sign of weakness—it’s the essence of servant leadership.
The Fog Will Lift So Stay the Course!
Tough times don’t last—but the impact of your decisions will.
You won’t always get it right. But if you lead with integrity, humility, and courage, you’ll emerge from the fog not just with results—but with your soul intact.
“To each there comes in their lifetime a special moment when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing.
What a tragedy if that moment finds them unprepared.”
— Winston Churchill
Let’s be ready.