08/06/2026
The meeting had completely gone off the rails.
A room full of auto dealers was furious.
The creative director was standing at the front of a U-shaped table trying to convince them that the advertising was good.
It wasn’t.
Everybody knew it wasn’t.
And the more he defended it, the angrier they became.
Their money had paid for the work.
But what really pushed them over the edge was being told they were wrong for thinking it was bad.
Then the yelling started.
The cursing started.
The heat in that room was unbearable.
I looked over at my boss.
He was smiling from ear to ear.
He looked at me, winked, and said:
“Now we’re having fun.”
Then he stood up.
He motioned for the creative director to sit down and walked straight into the middle of the fire.
He said:
“Guys, I have to be honest with you. The creative is not good.”
No spin.
No excuses.
No pretending.
Then he gave them three clear options:
Run it as is.
Use part of the budget to improve it.
Or scrap it and build something better ourselves.
Almost immediately, the temperature came down.
Not because the problem disappeared.
Because someone finally told the truth.
That moment taught me something about leadership.
When things go wrong, people do not need another person defending the mistake.
They need someone willing to step into the heat, tell the truth, take responsibility, and create a path forward.
That is leadership.
When the room gets uncomfortable, do not hide.
Step into the fray.
