The ‘Hard Choice’ in Leadership: Ben Sands on Facing Difficult Decisions

In a recent LinkedIn post, Ben Sands dives into the fundamental nature of leadership decisions, asserting that every choice ultimately boils down to selecting a “hard.” According to Sands, when faced with pressure, the natural inclination is to opt for the easier path, which often leads to greater long-term costs.

Sands highlights common avoidance tactics that leaders might employ under duress:

• Avoiding necessary but difficult conversations
• Delaying critical decisions until they become urgent
• Remaining in roles that are no longer a good fit

He argues that while these choices may offer immediate relief, they invariably escalate future problems.

“The conversation you avoid → becomes a team problem. The decision you delay → becomes a crisis. The role you’ve outgrown → becomes a bottleneck.”

The Inevitability of Difficulty

The core of Sands’s message is that difficulty is not an option to be sidestepped, but rather a factor that will inevitably reappear, often in a magnified and more costly form. He states, “Hard isn’t optional. It just shows up later—bigger and more expensive.” This perspective frames leadership not as the absence of challenges, but as the skillful navigation and selection of which challenges to confront.

Choosing Your ‘Hard’

Sands shares a personal anecdote about choosing his own “hard” a year prior: committing to posting on LinkedIn daily or facing the regret of inaction. This personal commitment underscores his belief that effective leaders proactively select their difficulties rather than reactively succumbing to them.

The Leader’s Question

Instead of asking “What’s easier?” Sands posits that the defining question for top leaders is, “Which hard is worth it?” This reframing is crucial, as it shifts the focus from short-term comfort to long-term impact and strategic growth. He elaborates on the actions taken by such leaders:

“They say the thing that needs to be said. They make the call before it’s obvious. They move before they’re forced to.”

Sands emphasizes that this willingness to choose and act on the right “hard” early on, rather than being compelled by circumstances, is the true differentiator among leaders, surpassing mere intelligence or experience.

Identifying Avoided Hardships

Concluding his post, Sands poses a direct question to his audience: “What hard are you avoiding right now?” This prompts self-reflection on the potential consequences of delaying or sidestepping necessary but uncomfortable actions. The implication is that identifying and choosing these “hards” proactively is key to effective and impactful leadership.

“That’s the difference. Not intelligence. Not experience. Willingness to choose the right hard—before you’re forced to.”

Sands’s insights encourage leaders to embrace the inherent difficulties of their roles, viewing them not as obstacles to be eliminated, but as opportunities for growth and decisive action.