Don't Stand Between the Clown and the Pie

As leaders, often we find ourselves in difficult positions, some of which are ultimately untenable.   For these times, my dad had this piece of advice:    step away from between the clown and the pie.

He was referring to a common circus skit.    Clowns would be having a pie fight and inevitably, some unsuspecting soul would wander into the line of fire and get hit by the pie that was intended for another recipient.   Translated. . .poor, unsuspecting soul took the brunt  of the silly attack that really did not involve him in the first place..   Had the individual accurately assessed the situation, and stepped away from the fray, he could have some himself a lot of grief.

As an option, this piece of advice has served me well in my career.    As leaders, we often get involved in many issues, some of which directly involve us, others which don't.   There are instances in which the best option is to just step away and let the fracas continue on to its own natural conclusion.

• Perhaps you have been placed in an untenable situation.   The goals that you have been tasked with simply cannot be attained given the situation.  The anxiety that this causes you, and the dysfunction that results in the workplace, may not be worth it and the best solution may be to just step away.
• Perhaps you have been inserted into the middle of an issue in which you have a strong point of view; your point of view, however, does not sync up with other key players.   As opposed to  banging your head against the wall, it may be the better part of valor to just step away.

Understand that by leaving the situation you are not admitting defeat.    In two of the most major decisions I have made in my life to step away; not only was I a happier professional, but in the end, the conclusion was what I would have prescribed anyway.   It was just that I needed to get out of the way for the "right" thing to happen in the long-term.

Most leaders are very persistent, and perhaps persistent to a fault.    Sometimes, it is really worth considering the very viable option of stepping away from between the clown and the pie and let the meringue fly where it may.

Brent Frerichs is the author of "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders"  available for e-readers, Apple products, tablets and PCs on Amazon Kindle.