Though his head felt it, the room was not spinning. The muffled conversation was screaming. Lenny was sure he was about to pass out.

In the six months since he was promoted, things had become increasingly chaotic. “When the path is clear, anyone can be the leader,” I told him. “It is in the middle of ambiguity that leadership emerges. The person who paints the clearest picture of reality will emerge as the leader.”

What is this “reality” stuff, and why is it so important? Because reality always wins. You can identify it and deal with it, or ignore it and allow it to eat your lunch.

What is reality in your company? It’s the stuff that keeps you from achieving your goals. It is the head trash that distracts you from effective action, which diverts you from your purpose. Purpose is a good place to start the reality conversation. Purpose helps to make sense of the chaos, creates a context for the noise. Purpose allows us to see clearer patterns of behavior. If you are a Manager and the world is swirling, sit down with your team and have a talk about purpose. -TF