I have a poster that hangs in my office that says; “The best view comes from the hardest climb.” As I watch the Olympics, I’m inspired by the performances and how four years of work (and in this year’s case - five) can be measured in tenths, and sometimes hundredths of seconds. The work those athletes put in is incredible, dedicating their life to many sports that only get the spotlight when the Olympics come around.

I don’t believe you can “shortcut” your way to greatness. Those that try shortcuts are only cheating themselves and it’s bound to catch up with them at some point… just ask the Russians about that.

Our business is being challenged right now. We are climbing an enormous mountain trying to keep up with incredible demand for events and we are not back to the full strength in our team that we were prior to Covid. Our team is working harder than ever to flawlessly execute events and stay ahead of what is coming for the rest of the year. I know many other caterers and those in the hospitality businesses are facing the same challenges. During these times it’s very tempting to take short cuts, to operate in desperation mode - doing just enough to get by and in some cases, sacrificing standards under the guise that “no one will notice.”

This is where leaders have a responsibility to step in and challenge their team’s to not settle. Not to lower expectations, but instead rise to the occasion. This will be the time that separates the companies and teams that have done the training, have the discipline and don’t create excuses for sub-par performances. I know burnout is real and I also know it’s our responsibility as leaders to make sure we have enough depth and strength so that all team members can feel supported. Is it going to be hard? Hell yes it’s going to be hard! But I’ve never encountered someone who told me that their proudest accomplishments were “easy”. Often the things in life that we are most proud of are the most difficult challenges that we have overcome.

When we create environments where people feel valued, where they know the work they are doing matters, and they respect and trust the people they are doing it with, we establish the foundation for incredible things to be built. We all have options. We can quit or we can persevere. We can take shortcuts or we can dig in and do the work. The latter doesn’t always guarantee success and we may not control our destiny, but we all have to ride the ride that makes us proud. Now is the time to make the decision that if the view at the top of that mountain is important enough to us, then let’s forge ahead.